Rafael Payare
Venezuelan conductor Rafael Payare was born in Puerto la Cruz on 23 February 1980. He studied French horn, joined El Sistema and became principal horn with the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra. He studied conducting with José Antonio Abreu, won the Malko Competition and worked as assistant to Claudio Abbado and Daniel Barenboim.
He became chief conductor/music director of the Ulster Orchestra in 2014, following a guest appearance, and continued in this post until 2019, when he became music director of the San Diego Symphony Orchestra in the USA. In 2022 he became music director of the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal.
Further information: rafaelpayare.com
A selection of articles about Rafael Payare
Ensemble. Undeniable Brilliance and Thrills - Ron Bierman listens to Brahms, Dvořák and Gity Razaz
Profile. Suffering and Delight - Ron Bierman talks to conductor Rafael Payare
Beyond COVID-19 - Ron Bierman takes a look at the current classical music scene in San Diego
Ensemble. A Booming Success - Ron Bierman reports on the San Diego Symphony Orchestra, live at its upgraded outdoor concert hall
Ensemble. Horns and Headlights? - Ron Bierman reports on San Diego Opera's 'La bohème' from a parking lot in San Diego
Ensemble. A Nuanced, Idiomatic Portrayal - San Diego Opera's first drive-in opera - 'La bohème', appreciated by Maria Nockin
Ensemble. Alternative Energy - San Diego Symphony's new music director Rafael Payare conducts music by Mason Bates and Gustav Mahler, heard by Ron Bierman