Stéphane Denève

Conductor Stéphane Denève has been influential in the fields of orchestral music and opera and has led ensembles in France, the U.S., and Germany. Denève's first major appearance was in the U.S., conducting Poulenc's opera Dialogues des Carmelites at the Santa Fe Opera in 1999. In 2004, Denève made his recording debut with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Liège, with pianist Frank Braley on an album of piano-and-orchestra works by Poulenc. In 2019, Denève began a three-year term as the music director of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra; his contract was extended through 2026. He became artistic director of the New World Symphony in 2022. Denève released his first recording with the St. Louis Symphony in 2024, leading the group in performances featuring violinist James Ehnes of John Williams' Violin Concerto No. 1 and Leonard Bernstein's Serenade.