The Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo announced the appointment of Nathalie Stutzmann as Artistic and Music Director on 10th December, with Princess Caroline of Monaco presiding over the announcement. Stutzmann will begin her four-year term on 1st September 2026, becoming the 19th director in the orchestra’s history and the first woman to hold the position since its founding in 1856.
The appointment represents the culmination of a decade-long relationship between Stutzmann and the OPMC. She first conducted the orchestra in 2014 with Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’amore, returned in 2017 for Wagner’s Tannhäuser, and has led symphonic concerts in recent seasons. The Principality recognised her contributions in 2014 when she was named Officer in the Order of Cultural Merit.
“I am deeply honoured to join the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo as its next Music and Artistic Director,” Stutzmann said at the announcement. “My collaboration with the orchestra started ten years ago, and we have been developing a beautiful complicity and joy to make music together during those years.”
International career and dual appointments
Stutzmann currently serves as Music Director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, where she has held the position since the 2022-2023 season. She became only the second woman to lead a major American orchestra when she took that role, and recently extended her contract through 2029. She previously served as Principal Guest Conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra from 2021 to 2024, the first woman to hold that position.
Her 2023 appearance at the Bayreuth Festival marked another significant milestone. She became only the second woman to conduct at the festival in its 150-year history, leading performances of Tannhäuser that earned her the title of Conductor of the Year at the 2024 Oper! Awards.
From singer to conductor
Stutzmann began her musical career as a contralto, building an international reputation before transitioning to conducting in the early 2000s. She studied under Finnish pedagogue Jorma Panula, as well as with Seiji Ozawa and Simon Rattle, and has more than 80 recordings to her credit as a singer.
France has honoured her with Chevalier of the Légion d’Honneur and Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres, the country’s highest cultural distinctions.
Succession and vision
Stutzmann will succeed Kazuki Yamada, whose ten-year tenure as Artistic and Musical Director concludes in August 2026. Yamada moves to the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin as Chief Conductor and Artistic Director. Princess Caroline acknowledged his significant contribution to the orchestra during the announcement ceremony.
At the press conference, Stutzmann outlined plans to expand the OPMC’s international presence through recording and touring activities whilst strengthening connections with Monaco audiences. She described the orchestra as her “European family” to complement her work with the Atlanta Symphony.
Addressing the historic nature of her appointment, Stutzmann emphasised that competence should take precedence over gender considerations. “I sincerely hope I was not chosen because I am a woman,” she told journalists. “I believe I was chosen because I have a wonderful relationship with this orchestra and because we can achieve great things together.”
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Photo credit: Philippe Fitte, Department of Cultural Affairs