Yannick Nézet-Séguin to Launch Mentorship Program for Conducting Talent

Today marks the announcement of The Yannick Nézet-Séguin Mentorship Program in partnership with Rolex, a new initiative dedicated to developing early-career conducting talent. Rolex is the founding partner of the program.

Designed by internationally acclaimed conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin, a Rolex Testimonee since 2024, who serves as Music Director of the Orchestre Métropolitain de Montreal, The Philadelphia Orchestra, and The Metropolitan Opera, the program is now accepting applications for its inaugural cycle, beginning with an in-person conducting workshop scheduled for early February 2027. 

Eligible candidates are invited to submit their materials by November 15, 2026, to mentorship@yannicknezetseguin.com.

Nézet-Séguin created the program to address the shortage of opportunities for early-career conductors to gain real experience on the podium, while instilling in them the leadership values that have defined his own career: collaborative leadership, authenticity, inclusivity, and kindness. Over the course of the program, conductors will work closely with Nézet-Séguin and the institutions he leads, gaining the kind of firsthand experience that shapes a music director’s career.

Four conductors will be invited to the workshop, selected through a rigorous application process. Participants will have the opportunity to work with two orchestras: first with The Philadelphia Orchestra in Philadelphia's Marian Anderson Hall, focused on symphonic repertoire, then with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and singers from the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program in New York's Metropolitan Opera House. At the end of the workshop, Nézet-Séguin will select two conductors for the inaugural year-long mentorship, which runs from September 2027 through August 2028.

Throughout their year in the Mentorship Program, each conductor will have the opportunity to work with and learn directly from Nézet-Séguin, join him at every orchestra he conducts around the world, and take part in four conducting workshops per year with the program's world-renowned partner orchestras: Orchestre Métropolitain de Montreal, The Philadelphia Orchestra, The Met Opera Orchestra, and The Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Conductors will receive a stipend for their participation in the program. In addition, conductors will be exposed to the institutional relationships — from CEOs, artistic administrators, and musician leadership to education teams and board members — to give a holistic view of a music director's work. Askonas Holt, the leading artist management company in classical music, will partner to offer management to the conductors for the duration of the mentorship via their Fellowship Program, including regular meetings and high-level career oversight.

“This program strives to instill the values I bring to my conducting: collaborative leadership, authenticity, inclusivity, and kindness in the next generation of music directors to create meaningful music at the highest level,” said Yannick Nézet-Séguin. “I am now in a unique position as a leader of three great institutions to provide access to the next generation of musical leaders, and I want to share what I have learned from decades as a music director with conductors who can carry the baton forward.”

“Rolex is proud to be a founding partner of the Yannick Nézet-Séguin Mentorship Program. We wish Yannick all the best as he offers the wealth of his experience to lucky young conductors,” said Arnaud Boetsch, Director of Communication and Image at Rolex. “Through our Perpetual Arts Initiative, we support a range of educational programs that foster talented young artists to reach the highest levels of excellence and achievement.”

“Conductors have never had enough opportunities to stand in front of great orchestras early in their careers,” said Ben Spalter, on behalf of the Yannick Nézet-Séguin Mentorship Program. “This program goes beyond podium time. We’re giving early-career conductors a real education in what it takes to be a successful music director and doing so under the direct guidance of one of the greatest conductors of our time.”

“Yannick has always said that conducting is, at its heart, an act of teaching, and this program extends that conviction to a new scale,” said Fabienne Voisin, President and CEO, Orchestre Métropolitain. “We're proud to join all the partners to help pass on not just technique, but the values of collaboration and authenticity that have defined his career.”

“Developing the next generation of conductors requires more than podium time; it requires meaningful access to the artistic, institutional, and community relationships that shape great music directors. The Philadelphia Orchestra is proud to join Yannick and our distinguished partners in giving these talented conductors the experience, guidance, and support to lead with excellence, authenticity, and humanity,” said Ryan Fleur, President and CEO, The Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts.”

“Yannick’s extraordinary artistic vision is matched by his commitment to nurturing the next generation of musical leaders,” said Peter Gelb, General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera. “With Rolex’s generous support, this innovative program will give gifted young conductors invaluable opportunities to learn directly from him. We’re thrilled to be part of it and to share the Met’s artistic expertise with these emerging talents.”

“There is not a more complex leadership position, in any discipline, than that of an orchestral conductor,” said Simon Fletcher, General Manager of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. “The COE has long valued the relationships built between great conductors and the next generation of musicians, and Yannick embodies that tradition. This program reflects the same spirit of mentorship and generosity that has shaped his work with our orchestra, and we are delighted to support him in nurturing the next generation of conducting talent.”

“Supporting artists from an early stage in their career is an important aspect of our work at this company,” said Donagh Collins, Chief Executive, Askonas Holt. “Yannick’s program supports conductors in such a meaningful way and gives these artists a broad view of what it takes to lead, both on and off the podium — we're proud to play our part.”

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