Biography

"Something mystical... almost beyond words." – Wiener Zeitung

"Both deeply rooted in tradition and radically innovative." – Süddeutsche Zeitung

"Unrivaled as a Bruckner conductor." – Diapason
Rémy Ballot has left a profound mark on the music world with his visionary Bruckner interpretations. His live recordings from the St. Florian Brucknertage have become new reference points—hailed with the highest accolades and officially recognized in 2024 as part of the Bruckner anniversary exhibition at the Austrian National Library. A monumental conclusion to this era.
His spectacular last-minute substitution for Dan Ettinger with the Stuttgart Philharmonic in spring 2024—including the opening of the Bergamo-Brescia Festival with Bruckner’s 4th Symphony— proved his extraordinary artistic authority. International orchestras have taken notice of Ballot’s exceptional work: in 2025, he will debut with the Munich Radio Orchestra, the Bratislava Philharmonic, and the Olomouc Philharmonic, while long-term collaborations continue to expand.

"Richard Strauss with breathtaking intensity and intricate detail." – Simply Classic
As Conductor in Residence at the 2024 Richard Strauss Days, Ballot opens a new chapter, working closely with the Richard Strauss Institute to explore the composer’s oeuvre. The first CD in the new Strauss Days Edition, set for release in March 2025, has already received outstanding pre-release reviews.

"Astonishing plasticity – Ballot reinvents Mozart and Haydn." – Süddeutsche Zeitung
With Klangkollektiv Wien, the ensemble he founded, Ballot sets new standards in interpreting the First Viennese School. An internationally acclaimed CD series continues in 2025 with a Schubert cycle. Following celebrated debuts at the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg and Munich’s Prinzregententheater, next season brings an invitation to the Vienna Musikverein.

Ballot is also a highly sought-after orchestral educator. His Oxford debut in 2024 with the prestigious university orchestra was met with great enthusiasm and marked the beginning of a long- term residency, including conducting engagements, chamber music projects, and lectures. He co- founded the FYMO (Filasteen Young Musicians Orchestra) of the Barenboim-Said Foundation and toured Palestine with the ensemble.

Alongside his conducting career, Ballot continues his work as a violinist. His recording of Bruckner’s String Quartet and String Quintet was hailed as a benchmark performance, earning the Supersonic Award and an ICMA nomination. In 2025, he will release recordings of the Trout Quintet and Hummel’s Piano Quintet, performed with members of the Vienna Philharmonic.

Rémy Ballot was the last student of Sergiu Celibidache. Following Celibidache’s passing, he founded his own orchestra in Paris, leading it for five years. He studied violin under Gérard Poulet at the Paris Conservatoire, received artistic guidance from Ivry Gitlis, and performed regularly with the first violins of the Vienna State Opera Orchestra/Vienna Philharmonic for over a decade from 2005 onward.