Marc Soustrot, Conductor
Biography
Marc Soustrot was chief conductor and artistic director of the Orchestre Philharmonique des Pays de la Loire from 1976 to 1994, the Beethoven Orchesters Bonn from 1995 to 2003 as well as Het Brabants Orkest Eindhoven from 1996 to 2006 and in this period he built up a large repertoire that stretches from traditional to contemporary music.
In 2002, Soustrot stepped down from the post in Bonn, but continued to lead the Brabant Orkest; he frequently appears in Bonn as a guest conductor.
Soustrot is considered a specialist in French orchestral literature; in his early career, he was also deeply involved in contemporary music, leading premieres of works by Claude Baliff, Alain Louvier and Maurice Ohana.
As a guest conductor Soustrot has worked with the Münchner Philharmonikern, the Bamberger Symphonikern, the English Chamber Orchestra, the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Dresdner Philharmonie, the Philharmonischen Staatsorchester Hamburg, the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg, the Filharmonie Antwerpen and the Residentie Orkest Den Haag.
In later years Soustrot has concentrated his efforts more into opera, leading among many others the opera companies in Nantes, Opera Island Kristiansand, and at Monte Carlo, Manuel Rosenthal's longtime stomping ground. In the field of opera, he is well known for making a specialty of Offenbach, but has also enjoyed success in modern works such as Ernst Krenek's opera "Karl V".
His opera repertoire includes, among others, „Don Giovanni“, „Carmen“, „Werther“ and operas by Verdi and Puccini, but also Wagner's „Ring“ and Berg's „Wozzeck“. Among the numerous opera houses, that Marc Soustrot has worked at, are Sevilla, Madrid, Genf, Brüssels, Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Copenhagen and Oslo.
In January and February 2010 he is conducting Poulenc's "Les Dialogues des Carmélites" and Debussy's "Pelléas and Mélisande" at The Royal Danish Opera and in March 2010 he will conduct Puccini's "La Rondine" at Oper Frankfurt.
Marc Soustrot has recorded several award-winning CD's and in 2008 he was appointed Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur.
Marc Soustrot is a native of Lyon. He graduated in 1969 from Lyon Conservatoire with a degree in trombone and piano performance and then took up conducting with Manuel Rosenthal at the Paris Conservatoire.
Copenhagen Artists represents Marc Soustrot in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland.