Guest Conducting Engagements 26/27
This week, Rafael Payare returns to the podium of the New York Philharmonic for a pairing of Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 2, performed by soloist Jean-Yves Thibaudet, and Bruckner’s profound Symphony No. 9, which after nearly a decade of work was unfortunately left unfinished at the composer’s death (Nov 4, 5, 7). On November 7, Payare leads the orchestra...
Payare Featured as Gramophone’s November Cover Story on the Release Day of New Album with OSM
Rafael Payare and the OSM release a new album on Pentatone today that marks their fifth recording together, featuring Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé and Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring (Le sacre du printemps). The release is at the forefront of Gramophone‘s November cover story on Payare, also out today. The conductor spoke with the magazine about the...
Payare and OSM Announce New Asia Tour
A foremost cultural ambassador for Montreal, Quebec and Canada on the world’s leading stages, the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (OSM) unveils a major Asian tour for February 2027, its 62nd to date. After recent tours in South Korea, Europe and the United States, this new destination will represent the Orchestra’s seventh tour under Rafael Payare’s...
OSM tours California with Rafael Payare this fall (Oct 25–30); releases fifth Pentatone album (Oct 30)
Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (Montreal Symphony Orchestra/OSM) embarks on its 61st international tour this fall, visiting three destinations on the West Coast of the U.S.: San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego (Oct 25–30). Led by Music and Artistic Director Rafael Payare, whose contract was recently extended through the 2031–32 season, they perform as guests...
Beyond Borders: North American Music Initiative
Rafael Payare and the San Diego Symphony are launching Beyond Borders: North American Music Initiative, a growing network of artistic relationships connecting San Diego with communities and cultural institutions in Mexico and Canada. The initiative builds on the Symphony’s sustained work in Baja California and expands that cross-border perspective north through a new artistic relationship...
Rafael Payare’s 2026–27 Season Highlights
Conductor Rafael Payare leads full seasons of performances in 2026–27 as Music and Artistic Director of both California’s San Diego Symphony (SDSO) and Canada’s Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (Montreal Symphony Orchestra/OSM), while also returning to the New York Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris, and San Francisco Symphony. Highlights of Payare’s season with the SDSO include their...
San Diego Symphony & Rafael Payare announce release of Shostakovich Symphony No. 7 on Delos
Marking their first recording with Delos/Outhere Music (OH Music), the San Diego Symphony (SDSO) and Music and Artistic Director Rafael Payare announce the release of Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 7, “Leningrad,” recorded live in May 2025 in the recently renovated Jacobs Music Center and representing the first release to highlight the enhanced acoustics of the celebrated...
SDS and Payare Announce Spring 2027 European Tour
The San Diego Symphony announces a major milestone in its history: the Orchestra’s first-ever European tour, taking place over nine days in spring 2027. Under the direction of Music and Artistic Director Rafael Payare, the Symphony will perform five concerts in some of Europe’s most prestigious venues, introducing international audiences to the “San Diego Sound.”...
