Conductor Débora Waldman’s career took her to three different countries before she turned 15. Born in Brazil, she grew up in Israel, then moved to Argentina. At the age of 17, she conducted for the first time and decided to go into orchestral conducting: she went to Paris to perfect her skills at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique (CNSMDP).

She became Kurt Masur’s assistant at the Orchestre National de France, between 2006 and 2009.

In 2008, L’ADAMI named her “Talent Conductor”, and in 2011 she received an award from the Simone and Cino del Duca Foundation, under the aegis of the Académie de Beaux-Arts. Since then, she has conducted numerous orchestras in France and abroad. In September 2020, she takes over as Music Director of the Orchestre national Avignon-Provence, a contract renewed until 2026. On this occasion, she becomes the first woman to head a permanent French national orchestra. In September 2022, she was also appointed Associate Conductor at the Dijon Opera after a dazzling Don Pasquale in spring 2022. She also conducted the Orchestre de Dijon-Bourgogne at the 30 Victoires de la Musique in March 2023.

Guest appearances includes concerts with Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, Orchestre Symphonique Région Centre-Val de Loire/Tours, Orchestre National de Lyon at the Côte Saint André Festival, and previously with Orchestre National de France, Orchestre Philharmonie de Radio France, Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice, Orchestre Symphonique Région Centre-Val de Loire, Hamburg Symphony Orchestra, Staatskapelle Halle, Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre National de Colombie and Orchestre Lamoureux at Théâtre des Champs-Élysées.

In opera, she has conducted Aida, Madama Butterfly, Don Giovanni, among others, and more recently Mozart’s Idomeneo, Stiffelio, La Sérénade by French composer Sophie Gail at Opera Grand Avignon. In the coming seasons, she will conduct Die Zauberflöte, La Traviata, Zaide.

Future engagements include concerts with the Geneva Chamber Orchestra, the Jerusalem Chamber Orchestra and the Orchestre de Limoges.

She works and evolves in the tradition of “constantly questioning”. She also founded her Parisian orchestra “Idomeneo”, which performs regularly at Salle Gaveau. Committed to a message of peace, Débora Waldman was chosen to conduct the concert “Thessalonica, crossroads of civilizations” in honor of Arab-Israeli friendship.

A dynamic conductor, she has been particularly involved in transmission through the Philharmonie de Paris’ Démos project since its creation in 2010.

In June 2019, she conducted the world premiere of the “Grande Guerre” symphony written in 1917 by French composer Charlotte Sohy (1887-1955), whose forgotten score she has rediscovered. In July 2021, she conducted the Paris premiere with the Orchestre National de France at the Maison de la Radio. A world premiere recording of this symphony was made during this concert, in partnership with the Palazzetto Bru Zane, released in March 2023. This discovery was the occasion for a book entitled “La symphonie oubliée” (The Forgotten Symphony), a crossportrait of the composer and conductor, published by Robert Laffont. Her first recording with the Orchestre national d’Avignon Provence, “Charlotte Sohy, compositrice de la Belle Epoque”, was released on the new label La Boîte à Pépites / Recording Women Composers. This disc has received numerous national and international awards, including: Diapason Découverte, Diamant Opéra Magazine, 5 étoiles Classica, Nominated at the International Classique Awards.

August 2025