Breaking: Montreal names Venezuelan music director
mainThe Orchestre symphonique de Montréal has just picked an outlier to succeed Kent Nagano.
The Venezuelan Rafael Payare will become its music director in September 2022 for an initial five years.
Nagano held the post for 14 years.
Payare, 40, is married to the American cellist Alisa Weilerstein. A product of Venezuela’s El Sistema, he is presently music director in San Diego, where he renewed recently to 2026. He was previously music director in Ulster.
Wow! He is terrific. Awesome news for a great band.
Fantastic choice!
Bravo!! Great news for Montréal! A fine choice and a great musician.
Hoping to rub off the Dudamel Effect.
You might also mention that he is presently music director of the San Diego Symphony.
Rafael, if you read these, congratulations! Nice to read uplifting news amid the world horrors. Good luck there!
I didn’t see it coming and didn’t realize that he had risen to OSM-level stature in the music biz. Apparently he has, so congratulations to him and the OSM; he just landed a great orchestra in a fantastic city.
And, to judge from his performances in San Diego (where I assume he is remaining, as well), Montreal is gaining a superb conductor.
Rafa is locked up in San Diego through 2026.(Yay!)
A great hire, congratulations to the city of Montreal, the OSM and Rafael!
I guess he goes to the same barber shop as the Dude. Did any qualified white males apply for the position, just curious?
Come on. Right melanin levels and if he can
conduct it’s a win-win!
What? Just going by today’s standards.
And nepotism,.. as he has a famous wife.
You mean Mr. Payare isn’t white?! ? . . . I don’t know, his skin tone looks pretty light to me.
. . . Ohhhhh, you mean somebody who was born in NORTH America or Europe, and has a waspish or European sounding name. I get it.
yes Guerrero, I assume by your surname you’re not a privileged member of WASP.
Thank you for pointing out the standards of today:)
I hope he can stand the cold. Venezuela and San Diego have probably never had snow. Unless you climb Pico Bolívar.
Wow can’t believe they nabbed Dudamel.