Bio
- Artistic Partner: Kymi Sinfonietta
- Associate Conductor: Singapore Symphony Orchestra
In 2026/27, French conductor Nathanaël Iselin will make his debuts with the Hong Kong Philharmonic, Danish National Symphony Orchestra, and Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, alongside returns to orchestras including the Norwegian Radio and Aalborg Symphony Orchestra.
Artistic Partner at Kymi Sinfonietta in Finland and Associate Conductor at Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Iselin’s recent highlights include Finnish Radio Orchestra, Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Iceland Symphony and Oulu Symphony, conducting repertoire ranging from Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique, Bruckner’s Symphony No. 3 and Debussy’s La Mer. He returns regularly to orchestras across Europe, including the Copenhagen Philharmonic, Orchestre National de Montpellier, Phion Orkest and Odense Symphony Orchestra.
Iselin has served as Conductor in Residence of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, and Assistant Conductor of the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra. He won First Prize and Orchestra Prize at the 8th International Jorma Panula Conducting Competition, as well as Second Prize at the German Conducting Award, with the WDR Sinfonieorchester and Gürzenich-Orchester Köln.
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Originally trained in Paris as a percussionist, Iselin is recognised for his nuanced orchestral colours and rhythmic precision. His repertoire strengths range from French and Nordic aesthetics through late Romantic and modern works, with a particular affinity for Debussy, Ravel, Sibelius, Prokofiev and Stravinsky.
He is also developing a growing presence in the field of opera. A regular guest at Opera Hedeland, Denmark’s largest outdoor opera venue, he conducted Le nozze di Figaro, La Cenerentola, Carmen and Rigoletto. In 2025, he conducted performances of Die Zauberflöte at Stockholm’s Folkopera. He was also second conductor and assistant on productions including Smetana’s The Bartered Bride at Stadttheater Bern and Zimmermann’s Die Soldaten at the Oper Köln, 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 has worked as assistant conductor to Michael Tilson Thomas, Sir Antonio Pappano, Susanna Mälkki and Vasily Petrenko. He counts among his mentors Mariss Jansons, Fabio Luisi, and Sakari Oramo.
Alongside his conducting studies, Iselin completed degrees in percussion and harmony at the Paris National 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.