Laurence Equilbey

Conductor and founding musical director of Insula orchestra and accentus, Laurence Equilbey is acknowledged for her demanding, yet open-minded approach to her art. Her exploration of the symphonic repertory has seen her conducting the orchestras of BBC of Wales, Hessischer Rundfunk, Lyon, Bucarest, Liège, Leipzig, Brussels Philharmonic, Café Zimmermann, Akademie für alte Musik Berlin, Concerto Köln, Camerata Salzburg, Mozarteumorchester Salzburg, etc.

In 2012, with support from the Conseil départemental des Hauts-de-Seine, she founded Insula orchestra, an ensemble devoted to the classical and pre-Romantic repertory, using period instruments. The orchestra inaugurates in spring 2017 a new music venue, La Seine Musicale, designed by architects Shigeru Ban and Jean de Gastines on île Seguin, and is in charge of selecting part of the programme for the 1,100-seater auditorium.

Laurence Equilbey has conducted Britten’s Albert Herring (at the Opéra de Rouen Normandie and the Opéra Comique), Weber’s Der Freischütz (Opéra de Toulon), Sous apparence (Opéra de Paris) and Reynaldo Hahn’s Ciboulette (Opéra comique). She is an associate artist of the Grand Théâtre de Provence in Aix-en-Provence and a companion of the Philharmonie de Paris.

With accentus, Laurence Equilbey continues to interpret the great vocal music repertoire. She also champions contemporary composers, and is Artistic Director and Director of Education at the Department for Young Singers at the Paris Conservatory.

In 2017, she released Insula orchestra’s Erato debut with accentus: a Mozart programme featuring the Coronation Mass and Solemn Vespers.

Laurence Equilbey studied music in Paris, Vienna and London, and conducting, notably with Eric Ericson, Denise Ham, Colin Metters and Jorma Panula. She has worked with Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Claudio Abbado.