Classical music’s man of the moment has signed an exclusive new contract with Deutsche Grammophon. The deal was confirmed in Hamburg during his nine-city tour of Europe and Israel with The Philadelphia Orchestra.
One of the highest paid stars on the podium, Yannick Nézet-Séguin is an honorary member of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe (COE), the current music director of The Philadelphia Orchestra, incoming music director of the Metropolitan Opera, and artistic director and principal conductor of Orchestre Métropolitain de Montréal. He will record a broad range of symphonic and operatic repertoire for DG with his orchestras.
Dr Clemens Trautmann, president of Deutsche Grammophon, said: “Over the past decade Yannick Nézet-Séguin has risen to become one of the world’s leading conductors, a charismatic force of nature who brings great music to life in a way that few others are able to do.
“As music director of The Philadelphia Orchestra and the Metropolitan Opera, he holds two of the most important and influential posts in classical music.”
Nézet-Séguin’s first album for Deutsche Grammophon was released in 2011, the recording of Don Giovanni marked the launch of his Mozart opera cycle, including the Grammy-nominated Le nozze di Figaro. His latest instalment, La clemenza di Tito, will be released this summer.
Nézet-Séguin said: “We will build on the work that we have recorded together over the past seven years and develop exciting new projects as well.
“I look forward to exploring fresh territory with the team when I start work as music director of the Metropolitan Opera in September, to realising the plans we have for recording with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and the Orchestre Métropolitain de Montréal, and to making further recordings with wonderful DG artists like Lisa Batiashvili, Elīna Garanča and Rolando Villazón. Not to mention the continued pleasure of live performances with such amazing musicians as Martha Argerich, Hélène Grimaud, Jan Lisiecki and Yuja Wang.”