Maxime Pascal
Maxime Pascal, born in 1985 in Nantes, quickly emerged as one of the most brilliant interpreters of 20th-century and contemporary music of his generation. From his early years at the Paris Conservatory, his path was marked by a deep curiosity for sonic exploration. He has delved into a vast repertoire, ranging from the classics to works by 20th-century composers such as Morton Feldman, Gérard Grisey, and Pierre Boulez.
In 2008, he co-founded Le Balcon, an innovative collective known for its amplified concerts, allowing the audience to be immersed “inside the sound.” The ensemble takes its name from Jean Genet’s play Le Balcon, reflecting on representation and embodiment. Le Balcon has become a key player on the contemporary music scene, committed to ambitious projects, including the monumental cycle Licht by Karlheinz Stockhausen. Maxime Pascal regards Licht as a major work in his life and plans to present it in full for the composer’s centenary in 2028.
His international career has included collaborations with prestigious orchestras such as the Vienna Philharmonic, with which he conducted The Greek Passion by Bohuslav Martinů at the Salzburg Festival. He won the Österreichischer Musiktheaterpreis for Best Musical Direction for this production in 2024.
Other notable collaborations include Pelléas et Mélisande by Debussy with stage director Benjamin Lazar; Lulu by Berg with Marlène Monteiro Freitas; and The Threepenny Opera by Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht with Thomas Ostermeier, the Comédie-Française, and Le Balcon.
In the coming months, he will conduct several operas and oratorios: Three Sisters by Péter Eötvös (after Chekhov) at the Salzburg Festival; Timon Études by Luca Francesconi (inspired by Shakespeare) at the Verdi Festival; The Damnation of Faust by Berlioz at the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre; and Pelléas et Mélisande by Debussy (after Maeterlinck) at Teatro alla Scala in Milan.
He will also lead symphonic and concert programs with the Hallé Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Yomiuri Orchestra, the Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, and the RSO Wien.
Since the 2024–2025 season, he has served as Music Director of the Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra.