Bertrand de Billy (born Paris, 11 January 1965) is a French and Swiss conductor.
He attended a Jesuit school, but only started serious musical studies when he was around 14–15; he studied piano and violin.
[Bertrand de Billy, chef d'orchestre, interview with Valéry Fleurquin, 3 January 2007, in French](_blank)
accessed 7 February 2014.
After his career as an instrumental musician, de Billy began his conducting career in Paris. He later moved to Germany and built up his career as an opera conductor. His professional operatic conducting debut was for Verdi's ''
La Traviata'' in
Oviedo
Oviedo () or Uviéu (Asturian language, Asturian: ) is the capital city of the Principality of Asturias in northern Spain and the administrative and commercial centre of the region. It is also the name of the municipality that contains th ...
, Spain, in 1991, replacing a conductor at short notice.
He was the ''
Generalmusikdirektor
A music director, musical director or director of music is a person responsible for the musical aspects of a performance, production, or organization. This would include the artistic director and usually chief conductor of an orchestra or concert ...
'' (GMD) at the
Anhaltisches Theater in
Dessau
Dessau is a district of the independent city of Dessau-Roßlau in Saxony-Anhalt at the confluence of the rivers Mulde and Elbe, in the ''States of Germany, Bundesland'' (Federal State) of Saxony-Anhalt. Until 1 July 2007, it was an independent ...
from 1993 to 1995. At the
Vienna Volksoper, he held the post of first conductor from 1996 to 1998. From 1999 to 2004, de Billy was chief conductor of the
Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, after the reopening of the theatre.
De Billy conducts mostly from memory, although he usually has the score in front of him in case problems occur. He prefers the smaller opera theatres (
Theater an der Wien
The is a historic theatre in Vienna located on the Left Wienzeile in the Mariahilf district. Completed in 1801, the theatre has hosted the premieres of many celebrated works of theatre, opera, and symphonic music. Since 2006, it has served prim ...
,
Châtelet,
Garnier), where more intimacy can be found with the audience.
Since 2002, de Billy has served as chief conductor of the
Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra (RSO Wien). His performances with the orchestra have included opera productions at the OsterKlang festival and at the summer festival
KlangBogen Wien. His recordings with the RSO Wien have included Eugen d'Albert's ''
Tiefland''. De Billy has had disputes with management over funding and the continuing status of the orchestra. In January 2009, the RSO Wien announced the appointment of
Cornelius Meister as its seventh chief conductor, effective with the 2010–2011 season.
Honors
France
*
Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur
The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...
*
Chevalier de l'ordre national du Mérite
*
Chevalier de l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres
Austria
*
Goldenes Ehrenzeichen für Verdienste um die Republik Österreich
Discographie
CD symphonique https://debilly.com/cd-recordings/
rchive/small>
CD Opéra https://debilly.com/cd-opera-works/ rchive/small>
DVD https://debilly.com/dvd-blue-ray-releases/ rchive/small>
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Billy, Bertrand de
1965 births
Living people
French male conductors (music)
Musicians from Paris
Knights of the Ordre national du Mérite
20th-century French conductors (music)
21st-century French conductors (music)
20th-century French male musicians
21st-century French male musicians