Lionel Bringuier

Lionel Bringuier has already travelled extensively across the globe at the invitation of symphonies, chamber orchestras, and opera houses. Bringuier has been appointed Music Director of Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège, starting from the 2025/26 season. He has ambitious plans for the orchestra, including expanding its performance repertoire, strengthening its relationship with audiences, and enhancing its national and international reputation. Notably, his work with the orchestra will include a performance in Liege in February 2024 and at the Kissinger Sommer International Musik Festival in June 2024. Alongside this new role he continues his role as Principal Conductor of Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice in his hometown. This unique appointment allows him to curate a series of special programmes, which he will also conduct, and to invite several of his closest musical partners. This season, these include Gautier Capuçon, Lukáš Vondráček and Nicolas Bringuier. Additionally, the season will feature a production of Carmen at the Opéra Nice Côte d'Azur, directed by Daniel Benoin.  

For the 2024/25 season, Bringuier’s engagements include performances with Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, Sydney and Queensland symphonies, China National Symphony Orchestra, and Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin during Beethovenfest Bonn. He will also embark on a tour with the Orchestre National de Metz and Victor Julien-Lafferière. Additionally, he will return to conduct Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Enescu Philharmonic. Highlights of previous seasons include return to Hollywood Bowl with Los Angeles Philharmonic and Jean-Yves Thibaudet, performances with San Diego Symphony Orchestra and Colburn School, as well as projects with Dresden Philharmonic, Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, NOSPR Katowice and Luzerner Sinfonieorchester. 

Very well-known across Europe and having previously served as Music Director of Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich (2014–18), Bringuier has also held posts at Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León in Valladolid, Orchestre de Bretagne and Ensemble Orchestral de Paris. Bringuier’s relationship with Los Angeles Philharmonic from 2007-2013 started with position of a first assistant conductor to Esa-Pekka Salonen at the age of 21, and developed into a role of associate conductor and later resident conductor – as the first person to hold this title in the orchestra's history.  

As part of an extensive discography Bringuier has collaborated with Yuja Wang for a Ravel Piano Concerto recording for Deutsche Grammophon as part of a complete cycle of the composer’s works. Other recordings include Chopin with Nelson Freire (DG) and Saint-Saëns with Renaud Capuçon and Gautier Capuçon (Erato) who are also regular partners. He works closely with some of the finest instrumentalists in the world, including Lisa Batiashvili, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Yefim Bronfman, Emanuel Ax, Leif Ove Andsnes and Janine Jansen. 

Bringuier comes from a family of musicians and studied cello and conducting at the Conservatoire de Paris, winning the prestigious International Besançon Competition for Young Conductors only a year after graduating. He cares passionately about education, outreach, and developing the careers of emerging conductors and soloists. In September 2020 he served on the jury of La Maestra, the first international conducting competition for women, and continues to work with local schools in his hometown of Nice to introduce children to classical music and orchestral experiences. 

Bringuier was named a Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite by the French government and has been lauded with the Médaille d’or à l’unanimité avec les félicitations du jury à l’Académie Prince Rainier III de Monaco and the Médaille d’or from the City of Nice.