François-Xavier Paul Roth (born 6 November 1971) is a French
conductor, who founded
Les Siècles Les Siècles is a French symphony orchestra founded in 2003 by François-Xavier Roth, with ambition to put works from the 17th to 21st centuries into today's perspective. The musicians of the orchestra play each repertoire on the historical instrum ...
, an orchestra which performs on instruments appropriate to the period of composition of each piece, from the late Baroque and Classical eras to 20th century music.
Biography
Roth is the son of the organist
Daniel Roth—the two share the same first name. His brother Vincent is a violist.
Before turning to conducting, he was a flautist. Roth graduated from the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique, where his teachers included
Alain Marion
Alain Marion (25 December 1938 – 16 August 1998) was a French flutist, and considered one of the world's best flute players of the late twentieth century.
Biography
Marion was born in Marseille on Christmas Day 1938. He studied at the Marseill ...
for flute and
János Fürst
János Fürst (8 August 1935 – 3 January 2007) was a Hungarian-born conductor and violinist.
Biography
Fürst originally studied the violin at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in his native Budapest. After the 1956 Soviet invasion of Hun ...
for conducting.
[Vincent Agrech. Rencontre: François-Xavier Roth – pour les siècles des siècles. '' Diapason'' No. 674 décembre 2018, 26–30]
In 2000, Roth won the
Donatella Flick Conducting Competition
The Donatella Flick Conducting Competition is an international music competition for young conductors, held biennially in London.
History
The Donatella Flick Conducting Competition is named after the philanthropist Donatella Flick, who founde ...
, which led to a 2-year appointment as Assistant Conductor of the
London Symphony Orchestra
The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's orchestras, symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's ...
. He has also served as an assistant conductor to
John Eliot Gardiner
Sir John Eliot Gardiner (born 20 April 1943) is an English conductor, particularly known for his performances of the works of Johann Sebastian Bach.
Life and career
Born in Fontmell Magna, Dorset, son of Rolf Gardiner and Marabel Hodgkin, Gard ...
. In 2003, he founded
Les Siècles Les Siècles is a French symphony orchestra founded in 2003 by François-Xavier Roth, with ambition to put works from the 17th to 21st centuries into today's perspective. The musicians of the orchestra play each repertoire on the historical instrum ...
, an orchestra which performs on instruments appropriate to the period of composition of each piece, from late Baroque and Classical to 20th century music, such as Ravel.
With Les Siècles, he has given concerts in France, Italy, Germany, England and Japan, appearing at the Proms in London. To mark the centenary of ''
The Rite of Spring
''The Rite of Spring''. Full name: ''The Rite of Spring: Pictures from Pagan Russia in Two Parts'' (french: Le Sacre du printemps: tableaux de la Russie païenne en deux parties) (french: Le Sacre du printemps, link=no) is a ballet and orchestral ...
'' in 2013, the orchestra performed the work on period instruments at the
BBC Proms
The BBC Proms or Proms, formally named the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts Presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hal ...
and the Alte Oper, Frankfurt. Roth and Les Siècles have devised their own television series for
France 2
France 2 () is a French public national television channel. It is part of the state-owned France Télévisions group, along with France 3, France 4 and France 5. France Télévisions also participates in Arte and Euronews.
Since 3:20 CET on 7 ...
entitled ''Presto!'', which ran for three years and attracted audiences of over three million viewers.
Roth has involved Les Siècles in community music initiatives, including sponsorship of orchestra and choir groups in the Société générale.
With Les Siècles, Roth conducted the first revival of 100 years of ''
Le Timbre d'argent
''Le timbre d'argent'' (''The Silver Bell'') is an in four acts by composer Camille Saint-Saëns to a French libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré. Although completed in 1865, the opera did not receive its premiere performance until 23 Febr ...
''.
Roth was Associate Guest Conductor of the
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
The BBC National Orchestra of Wales (BBC NOW) ( cy, Cerddorfa Genedlaethol Gymreig y BBC) is a Welsh symphony orchestra and one of the BBC's five professional radio orchestras. The BBC NOW is the only professional symphony orchestra organisatio ...
from 2008 to 2012. He was Music Director of the
Orchestre Philharmonique de Liège
The Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège (OPRL) (Liège Royal Philharmonique in English) is a Belgian symphony orchestra, based in Liège. The primary concert venue and administrative base of the OPRL is the ''Salle Philharmonique de Liège'' ...
(OPL) for the 2009–2010 season. In September 2011, Roth became Principal Conductor of the
SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg
The Southwest German Radio Symphony Orchestra (also known in English as the SWR Baden-Baden Freiburg Symphony Orchestra and in German as the Sinfonieorchester des Südwestrundfunks) was a German radio orchestra located in the German cities of Bad ...
. In February 2014, the orchestra announced the extension of Roth's SWR orchestra contract through the 2015–2016 season. In the same month, February 2014, the city of Cologne announced the appointment of Roth as its next ''Generalmusikdirektor'' (GMD), which includes duties as ''Gürzenich-Kapellmeister'' and chief conductor of the
Cologne Opera
The Cologne Opera (German: Oper der Stadt Köln or Oper Köln) refers both to the main opera house in Cologne, Germany and to its resident opera company. History of the company
From the mid 18th century, opera was performed in the city's court th ...
, effective 1 September 2015, with an initial contract of 5 years. In October 2018, his contract with the
Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne
The Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne (german: Gürzenich-Orchester Köln) is a German symphony orchestra based in Cologne. On some recordings, the orchestra goes under the name "Gürzenich-Orchester Kölner Philharmoniker". Its name comes from its ...
and the Cologne Opera was extended to 2022.
Roth was the last chief conductor of the SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg, before its merger with the SWR Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart to form the
SWR Symphonieorchester
The SWR Symphonieorchester (Southwest German Radio Symphony Orchestra) is a radio orchestra affiliated with the ''Südwestrundfunk'' (Southwest German Radio) public broadcasting network. Formed in 2016, the orchestra is administratively based in S ...
. He conducted the final concert of the SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg on 17 July 2016 in Freiburg. In March 2017, the
London Symphony Orchestra
The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's orchestras, symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's ...
announced the appointment of Roth as its new principal guest conductor, effective September 2017.
In July 2020, Roth first guest-conducted the
SWR Symphonieorchester
The SWR Symphonieorchester (Southwest German Radio Symphony Orchestra) is a radio orchestra affiliated with the ''Südwestrundfunk'' (Southwest German Radio) public broadcasting network. Formed in 2016, the orchestra is administratively based in S ...
. He returned to the orchestra for a subsequent guest-conducting engagement in June 2021. In September 2022, the SWR announced the appointment of Roth as the next chief conductor of the SWR Symphonieorchester, effective with the 2025-2026 season, with an initial contract of 5 years. In parallel with this announcement, the city of Cologne, also in September 2022, announced that Roth is to stand down as ''Gürzenich-Kapellmeister'' and chief conductor of the
Cologne Opera
The Cologne Opera (German: Oper der Stadt Köln or Oper Köln) refers both to the main opera house in Cologne, Germany and to its resident opera company. History of the company
From the mid 18th century, opera was performed in the city's court th ...
at the close of the 2024-2025 season.
Roth was created a Chevalier of the
Légion d'honneur
The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...
in the Bastille Day Honours List 2017. In January 2018, Roth was nominated "Artiste associé" at the
Philharmonie de Paris
The Philharmonie de Paris () ( en, Paris Philharmonic) is a complex of concert halls in Paris, France. The buildings also house exhibition spaces and rehearsal rooms. The main buildings are all located in the Parc de la Villette at the northeaste ...
, which is also linked to his work with the children's orchestra Démos, an initiative based on the model of
El Sistema
El Sistema (which translates to The System) is a publicly financed, voluntary sector, music-education program, founded in Venezuela in 1975 by Venezuelan educator, musician, and activist José Antonio Abreu.Lesniak It later adopted the motto "M ...
.
Roth's son Félix Roth is a musician and
French horn
The French horn (since the 1930s known simply as the horn in professional music circles) is a brass instrument made of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. The double horn in F/B (technically a variety of German horn) is the horn most ...
player.
Selected discography
* Jean-Louis Agobet, Orchestre philharmonique de Strasbourg, Timpani Records, 2005
* Presto, Les Siècles, Mirare, 2007
* Bizet, Chabrier, Les Siècles, Mirare – Diapason Découverte, 2012
* Saint-Saëns – Chausson – Ysaÿe, Tedi Papavrami (violin), Orchestre Philharmonique de Liège, Aeon, 2009
*
Thierry Pécou
Thierry Pécou (born 1965 in Boulogne-Billancourt) is a modern French composer.
Works
*''L'homme armé''
*''Le Tombeau de Marc-Antoine Charpentier'' pour 3 chœurs à voix égales, orgue baroque, basse de viole, positif et cloches (1995) *''A Ci ...
– La Symphonie du Jaguar, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Harmonia Mundi, 2009
* Berlioz – Symphonie fantastique, Les Siècles, «Les Siècles Live», Ed. Musicales Actes Sud, Distri. Harmonia Mundi, 2010
* Saint-Saëns –
Piano Concerto No. 4 / Symphony No. 3;
Jean-François Heisser Jean-François Heisser (born 7 December 1950) is a French classical pianist.
Biography
Born in Saint-Étienne, Heisser studied piano first with Paul Simonnar in Saint-Étienne, then at the Conservatoire de Paris with Vlado Perlemuter.
His vast r ...
, piano – Daniel Roth, organ – Les Siècles, "Les Siècles Live", Ed. Musicales Actes Sud, Distri. Harmonia Mundi, 2010
* Matalon – Trames 2, 4 et 8, dir. François-Xavier Roth, Les Siècles, «Les Siècles Live», Ed. Musicales Actes Sud, Distri. Harmonia Mundi, 2011
* Stravinsky – ''The Firebird'' (complete ballet), Les Siècles, « Les Siècles Live », Ed. Musicales Actes Sud, Distri. Harmonia Mundi, 2011 (
Edison Klassiek Prize
The Edison Award is an annual Dutch music prize awarded for outstanding achievements in the music industry. It is comparable to the American Grammy Award. The Edison award itself is a bronze replica of a statuette of Thomas Edison, designed by ...
2012)
* Mahler – Symphony No. 1 "Titan" / Webern – ''Im Sommerwind, SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden & Freiburg, Ed; Haenssler Classic, 2012
* Mahler – Symphony No. 5, – Gürzenich-Orchester Köln, Ed. Harmonia Mundi, 2017
* Dubois – "Concerto pour piano" et "Ouverture de Frithiof" – Les Siècles, «Les Siècles Live», Ed. Musicales Actes Sud, Distri. Harmonia Mundi, 2012
* Liszt – ''Dante'' Symphonie & ''Orpheus'' – Les Siècles, «Les Siècles Live», Ed. Musicales Actes Sud, Distri. Harmonia Mundi, 2012
* The Panufnik Legacies, London Symphony Orchestra, LSO Discovery, 2013
* Richard Strauss – ''Ein Heldenleben'' / ''Tod und Verklärung'', SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden & Freiburg, Ed; Haenssler Classic, 2013
* Richard Strauss – ''Don Quixote'' / ''Till Eulenspiegel'' / ''Macbeth'', SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden & Freiburg, Ed; Haenssler Classic, 201
* Debussy – ''La Mer'' / Première Suite d'Orchestre (world premiere), Les Siècles, «Les Siècles Live », Ed. Musicales Actes Sud, Distri. Harmonia Mundi, 2013
*
Dukas – ''L'Apprenti Sorcier'' / ''Cantate Velleda'' / ''Polyeucte'', Les Siècles, «Les Siècles Live », Ed. Musicales Actes Sud, Distri. Harmonia Mundi, 2013
* Stravinsky – ''Le Sacre du Printemps'' (1913) & ''Petrouchka'' (1911), First recording on period instruments. Reconstructed version of ''Le Sacre du Printemps'' as heard on 29 May 1913, Les Siècles, «Les Siècles Live », Ed. Musicales Actes Sud, Distri. Harmonia Mundi, 2014 (Preis der deutschen Schallplatten kritik,
Gramophone Choice)
* Richard Strauss – ''Also Sprach Zarathustra'' / ''Aus Italien'', SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden & Freiburg, Ed; Haenssler Classic, 2015
* Richard Strauss – ''Eine Alpensinfonie'' / ''Don Juan'', SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden & Freiburg, Ed; SWR Music, 2015
* France-Espagne – music by Chabrier, Massenet, Ravel, Debussy, Les Siècles, « Les Siècles Live » Ed. Musicales Actes Sud, Distri. Harmonia Mundi, 2015
* The Panufnik Legacies II, London Symphony Orchestra, LSO Discovery, 2016
*
Ligeti – Kammerkonzert / Dix pièces pour quintette à vents / Six bagatelles, Winds of Les Siècles, « Les Siècles Live » Ed. Musicales Actes Sud, Distri. Harmonia Mundi, 2016
* Richard Strauss – ''Symphonia Domestica'', Op. 53 / ''Metamorphosen'', SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden & Freiburg, Ed; SWR Music, 2017
* Ravel – ''Daphnis et Chloé'', Les Siècles, Ed. Harmonia Mundi, 2017
* Mirages – Sabine Devieilhe, Les Siècles, Ed. Warner Classics, 2017
* Bartok, Concertos for violin – Renaud Capuçon, London Symphony Orchestra, Ed. Warner Classics, 2018
* Ravel – ''Shéhérazade, ouverture de féérie'', ''Le Tombeau de Couperin'', ''Ma Mère L'Oye'' Les Siècles, Ed. Harmonia Mundi, 2018
* Berlioz – ''
Harold en Italie
''Harold en Italie,'' ''symphonie avec un alto principal'' (English: ''Harold in Italy,'' ''symphony with viola obbligato''), as the manuscript calls and describes it, is a four-movement orchestral work by Hector Berlioz, his Opus 16, H. 68, w ...
'', ''Les Nuits d'été'', dir. François-Xavier Roth –
Tabea Zimmermann
Tabea Zimmermann (born 8 October 1966) is a German violist.
Born in Lahr, she began learning to play the viola at the age of three, and commenced piano studies at age five. At the age of 13, she studied viola with Ulrich Koch at the Conservator ...
, alto –
Stéphane Degout
Stéphane Degout (born 9 June 1975 in Bourg-en-Bresse) is a contemporary French baritone. He grew up in Saint-Jean-de-Niost (Ain) and has been living in Lyon since 1995.
Biography
Trained at the lycée Saint-Exupéry in Lyon, the Conservatoir ...
, baryton – Les Siècles –
rchive/small> Harmonia Mundi (2019)
* Berlioz – ''La Damnation de Faust
''La damnation de Faust'' (English: ''The Damnation of Faust''), Op. 24 is a work for four solo voices, full seven-part chorus, large children's chorus and orchestra by the French composer Hector Berlioz. He called it a "''légende dramatique'' ...
,'' Mathias Vidal (Faust), Anna Caterina Antonacci
Anna Caterina Antonacci (born 5 April 1961) is an Italian soprano known for roles in the bel canto and Baroque repertories. She performed as a mezzo-soprano for several years, particularly performing the Rossini canon.
Career
Antonacci stu ...
(Marguerite), Nicolas Courjal (Méphistophélès), Choeur Marguerite Louise, Les Siècles, 1 DVD Chateau de Versailles Spectacle 2019.
*''The Young Debussy,'' dir. François-Xavier Roth – Edgar Moreau, violoncelle, London Symphony Orchestra – LSO DVD/Blu-Ray (2019)
*Camille Saint-Saëns, '' Cello Concerto n°1 & n°2,'' Sol Gabetta
Sol Gabetta (born 18 April 1981) is an Argentine cellist. The daughter of Andrés Gabetta and Irène Timacheff-Gabetta, she has French and Russian ancestry. Her brother Andrés is a baroque violinist.
Career
Gabetta began to learn violin at ...
, cello, Les Siècles, conductor François-Xavier Roth. Warner (2021)
References
External links
*
Maestro Arts agency page on François-Xavier Roth'Facing the music: François-Xavier Roth'. ''The Guardian'', 30 May 2016
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roth, Francois-Xavier
1971 births
Living people
People from Neuilly-sur-Seine
French male conductors (music)
Conservatoire de Paris alumni
Chevaliers of the Légion d'honneur
21st-century French conductors (music)
21st-century French male musicians