On the Horizon – 2025-26 season
Jean-Claude is looking ahead to an exciting 2025–26 season, with collaborations in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Europe confirmed so far. Further information will be shared soon.
Besançon International Competition for Young Conductors
Jean-Claude is delighted to join the jury in Montreal for the 59th edition of the prestigious Besançon International Competition for Young Conductors. This year’s international selections span Seoul, Paris, Berlin, Besançon, and Montreal—affirming the competition’s role as a global stage for emerging talents.
Return visit to Les Grands Ballets Canadiens
Jean-Claude is delighted to return to Les Grands Ballets Canadiens for the eighth time this February, conducting Tchaikovsky’s “Sleeping Beauty”, choreographed by Marcia Haydée after Marius Petipa.
New Think Piece
How can classical music, a centuries-old art form, maintain its resonance in today’s digital culture, where metrics of approval often prevail? My think piece “Sustaining the Soul of Classical Music in the Digital Age” explores this question, arguing that the genre’s vitality depends on remaining anchored in its authenticity and collective artistry while purposefully engaging with the modern world—qualities that ricochet into reflections on identity, integrity, and the timeless human connection it fosters.
Music director position
For the third time this year, Jean-Claude is delighted by the invitation to guest conduct another well-established orchestra as a music director candidate, following an extensive search process involving a substantial number of applicants. Further details will be shared in due course.
Cape Symphony – Interview
Ahead of joining the dynamic Cape Symphony team this September as a guest conductor and Music Director candidate, Jean-Claude was delighted to share a few thoughts with Concertmaster Jae Cosmos Lee. The full interview is available here.
New reviews
Jean-Claude obtained enthusiastic reviews for conducting Orff’s Carmina Burana with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens in April 2024:
“You don’t get the impression that you’re just watching a dance event. Often, even, the eyes are drawn offstage: the impressive conductor Jean-Claude Picard delivers a captivating performance. The choirs on both sides of Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier elevate the already monumental music, the soloists perform flawlessly. The intensity of the encounter between the three ensembles is undeniable.” – Sors-tu?
“Canadian conductor Jean-Claude Picard gives it his all in this rendition of Carmina Burana. The result of the collaboration between the expressionist choreography, the well-directed orchestra, the sublime chorus and solo singers, and a simple but effective set has brought the audience an hour-long work of choral and orchestral genius. The voices of Aline Kutan, Dominique Côté and the young Filipino-Canadian tenor Mishael Eusebio are remarkable.” – Arts et Culture
Cape Symphony
Jean-Claude is delighted to be invited to guest conduct the Cape Symphony as a candidate for its sought-after Music Director position, following a thorough search process that involved over 200 candidates. As such, he will be opening the orchestra’s 62nd season in September 2024, conducting a dynamic program featuring works by Adams, Frank, Strauss, and Mussorgsky/Ravel. A vibrant organization situated on beautiful Cape Cod in the USA, Cape Symphony is the second largest professional orchestra in Massachusetts, following the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Music directorships
After thorough and competitive searches involving a substantial number of applicants, Jean-Claude has been invited to guest conduct two orchestras based in the USA as a candidate for their highly sought-after music director positions. Further details will follow.
Return visits to Les Grands Ballets Canadiens.
A valued collaborator with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, Jean-Claude is looking forward to his return to the Company for two upcoming engagements. Firstly, he will be conducting a program showcasing Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana“, choreographed by Edward Clug. Subsequently, he will conduct the beloved classic “Giselle” by Adolphe Adam, featuring choreography by Ivan Cavallari based on Marius Petipa‘s original work.