BIOGRAPHY
Born in 1962 in Geneva, Switzerland, Philippe Béran studied both music and science before deciding to become a conductor. He won first prize in the clarinet at the ‘Conservatoire de Genève’ and the ‘Conservatoire National de Musique de Paris’. In 1986 he obtained a degree in physics at Geneva University and four years later a prize in conducting at the ‘Conservatoire de Genève’.
Thereafter he divided his time conducting locally at the ‘Opera de Poche’, ‘Opéra Théatre’, ‘Camerata de Genève’, ‘Orchestre de l’Université de Genève’ and finally the ‘Orchestre du Collège de Genève’, a symphony orchestra of young students that he has managed and conducted since 1990. At the same time he taught mathematics, science and music.
He has made numerous recordings of operas for children, symphonies and chamber music with various formations such as the ‘Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne’. Several of his projects have been performed abroad in association with the Swiss cultural foundation ‘Pro Helvetia’.
In 1997 he was nominated associated conductor at the ‘Opéra de Bordeaux’ where he stayed until 2000. During this period he organized and conducted over 150 concerts including operas, ballets, symphonies and shows for a younger public, at the head of the ‘Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine’. Several programs about him have been shown on various French and Swiss television stations.Among his many specialities are :
- Young people’s concerts which are especially conceived to help a younger and curious public discover and understand various symphonies. This is done in a lively and original way that includes spoken commentaries by Philippe Béran himself. This has lead to him being made responsible for educational projects by the ‘Orchestre de la Suisse Romande’ and ‘Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne’ since September 2002. He has worked in the same vein with the ‘Bayerischer Rundfunk’ in Munich.
In 2003 he was invited to conduct at theLucerne Festival a large production for a young public.
- Cine-Concerts: this project consists of conducting orchestras whilst accompanying the projection of various classic movies by such directors as Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton.
- Children’s operas
- Ballet is something that Philippe Béran particularly enjoys. He has worked with ballet companies at the ‘Opéra de Bordeaux’, ‘Opéra de Nice’ and ‘Opéra de Nancy-Lorraine’ as well as the ‘Grand Théâtre de Genève’.
Apart from the O.S.R. and O.C.L., Philippe Béran conducts regularly with :
- Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine<
- Orchestre Symphonique et Lyrique de Nancy
- Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg
- Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice
- Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo
- Opéra National de Bordeaux
- Opéra National de Nancy-Lorraine
- Grand Théâtre de Genève
- Opéra de Nice
- Opéra de Monte-Carlo
Imagination, emotion and humor characterize his choices, which are situated outside the mainstream of traditional classical concerts. Married with four children, he is particularly attentive to a younger public with the aim of awakening and arousing the interest and curiosity of the tomorrow’s music lovers.
Philippe Béran will conduct in December 2007 a series of performances of “the Nutcracker”, (choreographed by Balanchine) by the New York City Ballet at the Lincoln Center in New York and a tour in China (Opéra of Pekin) with the Ballet de l’Opéra de Paris in may 2008 (“Paquita”)