2017/18 will be his tenth and final season with the Rotterdam Philharmonic and will draw to a close with the orchestra’s centenary celebrations in Rotterdam and round Europe. In 2020/2021 he succeeds James Levine as the third Music Director of the Metropolitan Opera, New York and remains in post with The Philadelphia Orchestra until at least summer 2026.

Yannick has worked with many leading European ensembles and enjoys close collaborations with the Berlin Philharmoniker, Wiener Philharmoniker, Bayerischer Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester and Chamber Orchestra of Europe; between 2008 and 2014 he was also Principal Guest Conductor of London Philharmonic Orchestra. He has appeared three times at the BBC Proms and at many European festivals, among them Edinburgh, Lucerne, Salzburg and Grafenegg. North American summer appearances include New York’s Mostly Mozart Festival, Lanaudiere, Vail and Saratoga.

2013/14 saw Yannick’s first tour to China with The Philadelphia Orchestra and also marked the start of his three-year term as Artist-in-Residence at Konzerthaus Dortmund which featured The Philadelphia Orchestra, London Philharmonic, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Bayerischer Rundfunk, Wiener Philharmoniker and chamber concerts.

He made his Salzburg Festival opera debut in 2008 with a new production of Roméo et Juliette, returning in 2010 and 2011 for Don Giovanni. In the 2009/10 season, he made his Metropolitan Opera debut with their new production of Carmen and has returned each season (Otello, Don Carlo, Faust, La Traviata, Rusalka). He has conducted for Teatro alla Scala, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Netherlands Opera and Vienna State Opera and in 2011 began a cycle of seven Mozart operas for Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, all recorded live by Deutsche Grammophon.

Last season’s highlights included Lohengrin at the Wiener Staatsoper and Yannick’s first Wagnerian production at the Metropolitan Opera; Der fliegende Holländer. Orchestral collaborations included projects with the Bayerischer Rundfunk, Wiener Philharmoniker as part of the Internationale Stiftung Mozarteum’s Mozartwoche in addition to a tour of Asia with The Philadelphia Orchestra and European tours with the Rotterdam Philharmonic and Chamber Orchestra of Europe.

Opera in 2017/18 includes performances of Salome at the Wiener Staatsoper, Parsifal and Elektra at the Metropolitan Opera and the continuation of his cycle of Mozart operas at the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden (Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Die Zauberflöte) recorded live for Deutsche Grammophon. Alongside his regular subscriptions, orchestral projects comprise returns to the Berliner Philharmoniker, Bayerischer Rundfunk and Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Further highlights include a European tour with the Orchestre Métropolitain, the first international tour in the orchestra's history, and European tours with the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Rotterdam Philharmonic which marks the end of his ten-year music directorship with the orchestra.

Recent Deutsche Grammophon releases include Mendelssohn Symphonies 1-5 and Le nozze di Figaro with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe which won the 2017 ECHO Klassik for Best Opera Recording and a GRAMMY nomination. September will see the release of an album of French and Italian opera duets recorded with Rolando Villazón, Ildar Abdrazakov and the Orchestre Métropolitain (Montreal). The discography also includes the complete Schumann symphonies, The Rite of Spring and Rachmaninov Variations with Daniil Trifonov and The Philadelphia Orchestra; Tchaikovsky with the Rotterdam Philharmonic and Lisa Batiashvili and recordings with Rotterdam Philharmonic (EMI Classics, BIS and DG); London Philharmonic (LPO label); and Orchestre Métropolitain (ATMA Classique).

Yannick studied piano, conducting, composition, and chamber music at the Conservatoire de musique du Québec in Montreal and choral conducting at the Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey before going on to study with renowned conductors, most notably the Italian maestro Carlo Maria Giulini.  His honours include Musical America’s Artist of the Year (2016), Royal Philharmonic Society Award; National Arts Centre Award; Prix Denise-Pelletier; Prix Oskar Morawetz. He holds honorary doctorates from the University of Québec in Montreal (2011), Curtis Institute in Philadelphia (2014), Westminster Choir College of Rider University (2015) and McGill University in Montreal (2017).  He was appointed a Companion of the Order of Canada in 2012, Companion ot the Order of Arts and Letters of Québec in 2015, Officer of the Order of Québec in 2015 and Officer of the Order of Montreal (2017).

This biography should not be edited without permission from Askonas Holt.

Timeline

1975

March 6 — Born in Montreal (Ahuntsic neighbourhood).

1994

Artistic direction, Chœur polyphonique de Montréal (Montreal Cathedral).

1995

• Creation of the Chapelle de Montréal, professional vocal and instrumental ensemble.
• Artistic Director of the Chœur de Laval.
• Creation of the Ensemble Orchestral de Montréal.
• First concert with a large orchestra: Ensemble Orchestral and Chœur de Laval.

1996

Five first prizes from the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal.

1997

Several notable and significant encounters with Maestro Carlo Maria Giulini.

1998

• Assistant conductor and choir master at the Opéra de Montréal.
• First concert as guest conductor at the Orchestre Métropolitain (Montreal).

1999

• Prix Opus “Revelation of the Year”.
• “Person of the week”, La Presse.
• Guest conductor at the Montreal Symphony Orchestra for a youth concert.

2000

• Artistic Director and Chief conductor of the Orchestre Métropolitain (Montréal).
• Virginia Parker Prize from the Canada Council for the Arts.
• First opera conducted in Montreal: Lakmé, Delibes, concert version.
• 100^th performance (concert or opera) (October 19).

2001

First concert conducted outside of Québec with the CBC Radio Orchestra (Vancouver).

2003

• Start of collaboration with Atma Classique (La Strada, Nino Rota).
• Chief Guest Conductor at the Victoria Symphony.
• Start of collaboration with Askonas Holt agency.

2004

European debut with the Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse.

2005

• 500^th performance (October 29).

2006

• First concert as Guest Conductor in the United States, with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra.
• First concert as Guest Conductor with the Sächsische Staatskapelle, Dresden.
• First concert as Guest Conductor with the Rotterdams Philharmonisch Orkest.

2007

First concert as Guest Conductor with the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

2008

• Debut at the Salzburg Festival (Roméo and Juliette, Gounod).
• First concert as Guest Conductor with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe.
• First concert as Guest Conductor with the Philadelphia Orchestra.
• Chief Guest Conductor at the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
• Chief Conductor at the Rotterdams Philharmonisch Orkest.

2009

• Debut at the Metropolitan Opera, New York (Carmen, Bizet, 6 performances).
• Award from the Royal Philharmonic Society, London, in the Young Artist category.

2010

• Governor General's Performing Arts Awards.
• First concert as Guest Conductor with the Wiener Philharmoniker.
• First concert as Guest Conductor with the Berliner Philharmoniker.
• 1000^th performance (October 10).

2011

• First concert as Guest Conductor with the Bayerischer Rundfunk Orchester (Munich).
• Denise-Pelletier Award.
• Honorary doctorate from Université du Québec à Montréal.
• Person of the Year (Arts category), La Presse/Radio-Canada.
• First opera conducted at La Scala, Milan (Roméo and Juliette, Gounod)

2012

• Music Director at the Philadelphia Orchestra.
• First concert conducted at Carnegie Hall (Verdi’s Requiem with the Philadelphia Orchestra).
• Companion of the Order of Canada.
• First opera conducted at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London (Dvoràk’s Rusalka).
• Long-term collaboration agreement with Deutches Grammophon.

2013

2013-2016 — Conductor-in-residence at the Konzerthaus, Dortmund.

2014

• Prix Opus for best outreach outside Quebec.
• Honorary doctorate from Curtis Institute, Philadelphia.
• Echo Award for best Conductor, Stravinsky/Stokowski recording.
• Name appears in the proper names edition of the Petit Robert dictionary.
• 1500^th performance (December 13).

2015

• Honorary doctorate from Westminster Choir College, Rider University, Princeton.
• Companion, Arts and Letters of Québec.
• Officer of the National Order of Quebec.
• Québec National Assembly Medal.
• Artist of the Year 2016 (Musical America).

2016

• 1700^th performance (May 31).
• Appointed as Musical Director of the Metropolitan Opera (New York).
• Honorary Member of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe.

2017

• Music Director designate of the Metropolitan Opera (New York).
• Honorary doctorate from Mc Gill University (Montreal)
• Officer of the Order of Montreal
• Oskar Morawetz Award (Counsil of Arts, Ontario)

2020

Musical Director of the Metropolitan Opera (New York).