The National Ballet of Canada Will Welcome Maria Seletskaja as New Conductor-in-Residence

David Briskin, Music Director and Principal Conductor of The National Ballet of Canada, today announced that Maria Seletskaja has been appointed Conductor-in-Residence of The National Ballet of Canada Orchestra. The two-year appointment began in the fall of 2019 and Ms. Seletskaja brings her excellent musicianship informed by her extensive experience as a ballet dancer to the newly created position. She conducted the Orchestra during the Fall Season at select performances of Chaconne and Etudes and all performances of Petite Mort. Ms. Seletskaja will continue to work closely with Mr. Briskin in support of her development as an emerging conductor and will conduct upcoming performances during the 2019/20 season through to the 2020/21 season.

"I am very pleased to welcome Maria to The National Ballet of Canada and look forward to having her with us as Conductor-in-Residence," said Mr. Briskin. "Maria's experience as an international soloist combined with her ongoing training as a conductor has prepared her well for what will be an exciting next step in her professional development. We are delighted to be part of her journey."

Ballet and music have been equally influential in Ms. Seletskaja's life since early childhood. Parallel to a dancing career that spanned 15 years during which she performed with the Royal Ballet of Flanders, Staatsballett Berlin, Zürich Ballet and the Estonian National Ballet, Ms. Seletskaja continued her musical studies at the Berklee College of Music in Boston and privately. First honing her conducting skills with the Royal Ballet of Flanders, Ms. Seletskaja has been pursuing a full-time conducting career since 2016.

Born in Estonia, Ms. Seletskaja first studied piano and then violin. She was influenced by such conducting teachers as James Tuggle, Music Director of Stuttgart Ballet and Stuttgart Opera House, celebrated conductor Paavo Järvi and Rodolfo Saglimbeni. She worked as assistant to the Music Director of the Casco Phil, former Flemish Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra, and Stuttgart Ballet Orchestra and made her official conducting debut with Stuttgart Ballet in La Fille mal gardée, followed by performances of Mayerling. Ms. Seletskaja recently made her conducting debut at the National Ballet of Georgia and Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra. Ms. Seletskaja recently made her conducting debut at The National Ballet of Georgia and Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra, and assisted Paavo Järvi with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen. She will make her first appearance with Ballet de Santiago conducting The Sleeping Beauty next season.