Biography

Hailed as the “Révélation chef d’orchestre” (conducting revelation) at the Victoires de la Musique Classique (opens in a new window) 2025, Simon Proust is part of a new generation of open-minded and eclectic French conductors who approach a wide repertoire with passion and rigour.

For more than ten years, Simon Proust has conducted the symphonic repertoire in France with the Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire (opens in a new window), the Orchestre National de Lille (opens in a new window), the Orchestre National Avignon-Provence (opens in a new window), the Orchestre de l’Opéra de Lorraine (opens in a new window), the Orchestre de l’Opéra de Toulon (opens in a new window), the Orchestre National de Metz Grand Est (opens in a new window), the Orchestre de Bretagne (opens in a new window), the Orchestre d’Auvergne (opens in a new window), the Orchestre de Picardie (opens in a new window), the Orchestre Symphonique Région-Centre-Tours-Val-de-Loire (opens in a new window), the Orchestre des Lauréats du CNSMD de Paris (opens in a new window) and the Orchestre Colonne (opens in a new window).

In the operatic repertoire, he recently made his debut at the Opéra de Lausanne (opens in a new window) in Une petite Flûte enchantée, based on Mozart’s masterpiece, conducted Donizetti’s Un Elixir d’amour at the opera houses of Bordeaux (opens in a new window) and Reims (opens in a new window) and at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées (opens in a new window) with Les Frivolités Parisiennes (opens in a new window), and Bizet’s Le Docteur Miracle at the Opéra de Rouen (opens in a new window).

Initially committed to the music of our time, he works with the Ensemble Intercontemporain (opens in a new window) (as assistant conductor, then guest conductor), the Ensemble Ars Nova (opens in a new window), Les Métaboles (opens in a new window) and Multilatérale (opens in a new window) (guest conductor). In recent years he has broadened his repertoire, particularly in opera, towards ensembles playing period instruments, first with Laurence Equilbey and Insula Orchestra (opens in a new window), then since 2022 alongside Emmanuelle Haïm, whom he assists on opera productions at houses such as the Dutch National Opera (opens in a new window), the Zurich Opera (opens in a new window), the Aix-en-Provence Festival (opens in a new window), the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées and the opera houses of Lille (opens in a new window) and Strasbourg (opens in a new window). He works regularly with Les Siècles (opens in a new window) on numerous projects and productions, and more recently with the musicians of Le Banquet Céleste (opens in a new window), conducting Handel’s Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno at the Opéra de Rennes (opens in a new window).

Noticed by Bernard Haitink in Lucerne and distinguished by several international awards, notably at the Princess Astrid Conducting Competition (opens in a new window) in 2018, Simon Proust studied conducting with Alain Altinoglu at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et Danse de Paris, then at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (opens in a new window). He was named ‘Talent Adami 2016 (opens in a new window)’ and ‘Génération Spedidam 2022-2024 (opens in a new window)’ and assisted Thomas Dausgaard with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (opens in a new window) between 2016 and 2018.

Passionate about transmission and teaching, he has been head of the Atelier XX-XXI at the CNSMD de Lyon (opens in a new window) since September 2025, artistic and musical director of the Orchestre des Jeunes du Centre (opens in a new window) since 2018, and of the Ensemble Cartésixte (opens in a new window), which he founded in 2011 and which brings symphonic music to a priority neighbourhood of Tours in a spirit of openness and sharing. He is also very committed to promoting amateur music-making and teaches conducting at the Conservatoire Maurice Ravel in Levallois-Perret.

His projects for 2026-2027 include concerts with the Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège (opens in a new window), the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra (opens in a new window), Sinfonia Varsovia (opens in a new window), the Orchestre National de Lyon (opens in a new window), the Orchestre de l’Opéra National de Bordeaux Aquitaine, the Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire, the Orchestre National Avignon Provence, the Orchestre National de Metz Grand Est, the Orchestre de l’Opéra de Rouen Normandie and the Orchestre de Jeunes de l’Arc Alpin.