François-Xavier Roth

François-Xavier Roth is acclaimed as a musical visionary – an incredibly versatile conductor who, paradoxical though it sounds, has specialised in the universal. His repertoire ranges from early Baroque to the present day, including the core symphonic repertoire as well as new discoveries. Roth initially trained as a flautist at the Paris Conservatoire, playing in the Orchestre de Paris before switching to conducting. From 2015 to 2024, he was chief conductor of the Gürzenich Orchestra and General Music Director of the City of Cologne, where his innovative programming attracted great attention.

The charismatic conductor has led the early music ensemble Les Siècles, which he founded, to international success in a very short space of time – not least because he relies on historical information in his explorations of music. These have won praise for their broad expressive range, from delicate refinement to stormy forcefulness. Depending on the work, and often during a concert, the members of Les Siècles adapt their instruments to the respective repertoire. This increases the workload, but also the enjoyment of the result, as familiar pieces can appear in a new light, with sharpened colours.

Roth, who made his debut with the Berliner Philharmoniker in 2015 with works by French composers, is Principal Guest Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra and Artiste associé of the Philharmonie de Paris. In 2019 he became Artistic Director of the Atelier Lyrique in Tourcoing, where Les Siècles is based. He was chief conductor of the SWR Baden-Baden Freiburg Symphony Orchestra from 2011 to 2016 and will be appointed as chief conductor and artistic director of the SWR Symphony Orchestra in September 2025.