Bio

In the 2026/27 season, French conductor Nathanaël Iselin will make his debuts with the Hong Kong Philharmonic, Danish National Radio Orchestra, and Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, alongside returns to orchestras across the Nordic countries and Europe.

Currently Artistic Partner of the Kymi Sinfonietta in Finland and Associate Conductor of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Iselin’s recent highlights have included concerts with the Finnish Radio Orchestra, Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Iceland Symphony, and Oulu Symphony, conducting repertoire ranging from Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique, Bruckner’s Symphony No. 3, Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8 and Debussy’s La Mer. He returns regularly to orchestras across Europe, including the Copenhagen Philharmonic, Orchestre National de Montpellier, Phion Orkest, Odense, Aarhus and Aalborg Symphony Orchestras. He has also conducted orchestras such as the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, and the Orchestre National de France, in various contexts other than public concerts.

Winner of First Prize and the Orchestra Prize at the 8th International Jorma Panula Conducting Competition, Iselin was subsequently appointed Conductor in Residence of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra. He also received Second Prize at the German Conducting Award, with the WDR Sinfonieorchester and Gürzenich-Orchester Köln. Earlier in his career, he served as Assistant Conductor of the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra.

Originally trained in Paris as a percussionist, Iselin is recognised for his refined ear for orchestral colour and rhythmic precision. His repertoire of choice ranges from French and Nordic aesthetics to the great symphonic works of the late-Romantic and modern eras, with particular affinities for Debussy, Ravel, Sibelius, and Prokofiev.

Alongside his symphonic activity, Iselin develops a growing presence on the operatic stage. He regularly conducts at Opera Hedeland, Denmark’s largest outdoor opera venue, where he has led productions of Le nozze di Figaro, La Cenerentola, Carmen and Rigoletto. In 2025, he conducted performances of Die Zauberflöte at Stockholm’s Folkopera. He has also worked as second conductor and assistant on productions including Smetana’s The Bartered Bride at Bern Opera and Zimmermann’s Die Soldaten at the Cologne Opera, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg and Philharmonie de Paris.

Iselin studied orchestral conducting at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris, the Zürich University of the Arts and the Royal Danish Academy of Music, and has been a Conducting Fellow at the Verbier Festival. He worked as an assistant conductor to Michael Tilson Thomas, Antonio Pappano, Susanna Mälkki and Vasily Petrenko. Among his mentors are Mariss Jansons, Fabio Luisi, Sakari Oramo, and Jaap van Zweden.

Alongside his conducting studies, Iselin completed degrees in percussion and harmony at the Paris Conservatoire, in addition to studies in piano and music theory. As a percussionist, he has performed under conductors including David Zinman, Dennis Russell Davies and Matthias Pintscher.

 

 

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