Born in Beirut, Maestro George Pehlivanian’s extraordinary musical journey began at a young age, with piano lessons at the age of three and violin lessons at six. In 1975, he relocated to Los Angeles with his family, where his passion for music flourished. He honed his craft under the mentorship of renowned maestros Pierre Boulez, Lorin Maazel, and Ferdinand Leitner. After earning the prestigious Diploma di Merito from the Accademia Chigiana in Siena, Maestro Pehlivanian achieved a remarkable milestone in 1991 by winning the Grand Prize at the Besançon Conducting Competition, awarded unanimously by the esteemed international jury. Notably, he remained the first and only American for over six decades to receive this distinguished honor, solidifying his place among the most revered figures in the world of conducting. Since then, Maestro George Pehlivanian has solidified his reputation as one of the preeminent conductors of his generation. He has graced the world’s most prestigious concert stages, leading an impressive roster of renowned orchestras, including the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia, Israel Philharmonic, Filarmonica della Scala, Leipzig Gewandhaus, NDR Hamburg, and the Orchestra of the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma. His collaborations also extend to the Orchestra dell’Accademia di Santa Cecilia, Rotterdam Philharmonic,
Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Monte-Carlo Philharmonic, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Orchestra Nazionale della RAI Torino, BBC Philharmonic, Czech Philharmonic, and prominent German orchestras such as the Bamberger Symphoniker, hr-Sinfonieorchester, the Norddeutsche and Südwestrundfunk Symphony Orchestras, as well as the Saarländisches Staatsorchester, the Dortmunder and Bremer Philharmoniker.
Further notable appearances include performances with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Orquesta Nacional de España, Belgian National Orchestra, Orchestra del Teatro di San Carlo, Teatro Comunale di Bologna, I Pomeriggi Musicali di Milano, l’Opera di Genova, Verona, Parma, Bari e Trieste, la Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini, Orquesta Radio Televisión de España, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, among many others.
In North America, Maestro Pehlivanian has captivated audiences with leading engagements with the Houston Symphony, Montreal Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, Indianapolis
Symphony, Toronto Symphony, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic, Rochester Philharmonic, and the symphonies of Honolulu, Puerto Rico, Vancouver, Ottawa, Quebec, and the Pacific. His global presence extends to performances with the Russian National Orchestra, Moscow Philharmonic, Mariinsky Theater Orchestra, Fedosseyev Orchestra, Sydney Symphony, Japan Virtuosi Symphony, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Malaysian, Hong Kong, Qatar, Qingdao and Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestras.
In the winter of 2017, Maestro Pehlivanian made history as the first conductor of Armenian descent to lead the Presidential Symphony Orchestra of Turkey in Ankara— and consequently was invited to lead
the Borusan and Istanbul State Symphony orchestras. A groundbreaking achievement that highlights his enduring legacy and exceptional contribution to the global music community. Equally distinguished in the operatic and symphonic realms, Maestro George Pehlivanian has led
some of the most prestigious opera houses across Europe and the United States.
His operatic repertoire includes masterful interpretations of Jenůfa, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, and Ernani for the New Israeli Opera; La Traviata at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg; Tosca at the Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux and St. Etienne; the Dutch premiere of Riders to the Sea in Rotterdam; La Voix Humaine at the Cité de la Musique in Paris; and Otello, Cavalleria Rusticana, and Gianni Schicchi at Teatro San
Carlo di Napoli. Additionally, his remarkable productions of Pique Dame and Andrea Chénier at Teatro Lirico in Cagliari, La Damnation de Faust at Teatro San Carlo in Naples and Teatro Regio in Parma,
and Carmen for Teatro Petruzzelli , Bari, Istanbul State and Long Beach Opera Houses which have received widespread acclaim.
Maestro Pehlivanian has also made significant contributions to contemporary opera, conducting the world premieres of Le Jour des Meurtres by Pierre Thilloy at l’Opéra-Théâtre de Metz and Sette Storie
per Lasciare il Mondo by Marco Betta. His bold and critically acclaimed new production of Boris Godunov at Teatro Massimo in Palermo stands as a testament to his visionary artistry.
Throughout his illustrious career, Maestro Pehlivanian has collaborated with an array of the world’s finest artists, including virtuoso violinists Maxim Vengerov, Leonidas Kavakos, Midori, Vadim Repin, Hilary Hahn, Lisa Batiashvili, Leila Josefowicz, Renaud Capucon and Sarah Chang, and Joshua Bell; celebrated cellists Misha Maisky , Boris Pergamenchikov, Gautier Capucon and Lynn Harrell; pianists
Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Katia Buniatishvili, Arcadi Volodos, Fazil Say and Emmanuel Ax; and iconic musicians such as Gidon Kremer, Gil Shaham, and Maurice André. His partnerships extend to revered
vocalists and opera legends, including Mirella Freni, Ruggero Raimondi, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Ferruccio Furlanetto, Leona Mitchell, Leo Nucci, Vladimir Galouzine, and Denyce Graves. This impressive list of collaborators reflects his status as a conductor of the highest caliber,
consistently sought after by the most celebrated soloists and ensembles around the globe.
In recognition of his exceptional leadership and artistry, Maestro
George Pehlivanian was appointed Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Slovenian Philharmonic from 2005 to 2008. He has also held prominent Principal Guest Conductor positions with esteemed orchestras such as the Residentie Orkest of The Hague, Wiener Kammerorchester, Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz, the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra and Principal Conductor of the Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, Maestro Pehlivanian has been a distinguished presence at many of the world’s most prestigious international music festivals, including the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, White Nights Festival of Saint
Petersburg, Aix-en-Provence, MITO Milan, Radio France Festival in Montpellier, Jeunesse Musicale in Vienna, Bruckner Festival in Linz, Verdi Festival in Parma, Ravenna Festival, Aspen Music Festival,
and the festivals of San Sebastián, Santander, Ravello, Madrid, Cannes MIDEM, El Escorial, Ljubljana, Granada, Osaka, and Kyoto.
His discography reflects his versatile musicianship and commitment to excellence. It includes a celebrated double CD release on Virgin Classics/EMI with the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic and notable recordings for BMG with the London Philharmonic. He also led the world premiere recording of Zhukov’s works with the Residentie Orchestra under the CHANDOS label and recorded works by
Rodrigo with the Orquesta Nacional de España for STUDIO SM. His recordings of Liszt’s complete works for piano and orchestra with pianist Louis Lortie and the Residentie Orchestra for CHANDOS
earned critical acclaim, with Gramophone Magazine praising the performance’s artistry and depth.
A passionate advocate of contemporary music, Maestro Pehlivanian’s recording of Christian Jost’s compositions for Coviello was met with widespread enthusiasm. His release under the IBS Classical label features Shostakovich’s legendary Leningrad Symphony, performed with the Joven Orquesta Nacional de España. This groundbreaking recording marks a historic milestone, as it is the first time a Spanish orchestra has recorded the Leningrad Symphony.
In September 2023, SNY Classical honored Maestro Pehlivanian’s artistry by releasing his remarkable recording with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, further cementing his legacy as one of the foremost conductors of his era. He continues to record actively and regularly with the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, over a dozen recordings to date as well as recordings of the foremost Slovenian composers with the Slovenian National Philharmonic Orchestra.
In 2011, Maestro George Pehlivanian founded the Touquet International Music Masters in France, an esteemed institution dedicated to nurturing young musical talent and fostering excellence in performance. The following year, in 2012, he was appointed Professor of Conducting at the prestigious Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris (CNSMDP), where he continued to mentor the next generation of conductors. In 2013, he further expanded his educational contributions by becoming the Director of the Postgraduate Conducting Department at the Higher School of Music Education ‘Katarina Gurska’ in Madrid.
Demonstrating his unwavering commitment to innovation and cultural enrichment, Maestro Pehlivanian founded the “Slovenian Festival Orchestra” in 2020. This ensemble has quickly gained recognition for its dynamic performances and unique social mission. A hallmark of the Slovenian Festival Orchestra is the “Pehlivanian Professional Opera Academy” (PPOA), which tours annually in Slovenia and provides valuable opportunities to aspiring musicians. Notably, 75% of the orchestra’s members are highly skilled musicians without fixed employment, reflecting Maestro Pehlivanian’s dedication to supporting freelance artists by securing them performance opportunities. His efforts have played a crucial role in helping these musicians build sustainable careers in the classical music industry. In recognition of its artistic excellence and social impact, the Slovenian Festival Orchestra has been invited to perform at the prestigious Ravello Festival in 2024, further solidifying its reputation as a beacon of opportunity and artistry on the international stage.
Building on this long-standing commitment to artistic leadership, education, and career sustainability, Maestro Pehlivanian is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Pehlivanian International Conducting Competition (PICC), to be held in November 2026 in Bled, Slovenia. Conceived as an international platform of the highest artistic standards, the competition emphasizes integrity, transparency, and long-term professional development within the classical music profession.
In parallel, he has initiated the Sustainable Career Development Conference, an international forum held alongside the PICC competition, bringing together artists, educators, cultural leaders, and policy experts to address structural challenges in classical music careers and to promote more sustainable and inclusive professional pathways across the performing arts sector.
