About
A native of São Paulo, Brazil, Débora Waldman accompanied her family to Israel in a Kibbutz where she lived until the age of 14.
She then pursued her musical studies in Buenos Aires, in the Universidad Católica de Argentina. She is the only student in the history of this university that has been awarded two golden medals, both in orchestra conducting and composition.
In 2002, she perfected her formation in Paris (where she lives) with Janos Fürst, and with F.X. Roth and M. Levinas in the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique (CNSM).
Debora Waldman becomes on 1st September 2020 the first female conductor of a National Orchestra in France, the Orchestre National Avignon-Provence. Her contract is renewed for 3 additional seasons from September 2022.
Since September 2022, she is also Cheffe Associée at the Opéra de Dijon where she conducted DON PASQUALE in spring 2022, STIFFELIO in November 2022 and will conduct TOSCA in May 2024 and TRAVIATA in January 2025.
She conducted the Orchestre de Dijon-Bourgogne for the TV show « 30e Victoires de la Musique » in march 2023.
Guest appearances includes concerts with the Orchestre National de France, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, the Orchestre National de Lyon, the Hamburger Symphoniker, the Staatskapelle Halle, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Johannesburg, Orchestre National de Colombie, Orchestre National de Lille, Orchestre de Bretagne, Orchestre des Pays de Savoie, the Orchestre Lamoureux at Théâtre des Champs-Élysées…
In the lyrical repertoire, in addition to DON PASQUALE and STIFFELIO in Dijon, she conducted recently IDOMENEO by Mozart at the Opera d’Avignon and SERENADE by the French female composer Sophie Gail at the Opéra d’Avignon. She will conduct DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE in Rouen in February 2024.
Among her future commitments, in addition to her concerts as Musical Director and the productions as Cheffe Associée, she will conduct the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice and the Chamber Orchestre of Genève.
In November 2023, she will celebrate the 10th anniversary of her orchestra “Idomeneo” at the Salle Gaveau in Paris.
She works and evolves in the tradition and affirms that everyone must: “question constantly”.
Concerned about delivering a message of peace, Debora Waldman conducted the concert “Thessaloniki, Crossroads of Civilizations” in honor of the Arabic-Israeli friendship.
In June 2019, she conducted the world premiere of the “Symphonie de Guerre” composed in 1917 by the French female composer Charlotte Sohy (1887-1955), after having found the forgotten score. Then, in July 2021, she conducted its Paris premiere with the Orchestre National de France at the Maison de la Radio. A first world recording of this symphony was made during this concert, in partnership with the Palazzetto Bru Zane.
This discovery was the opportunity to make a documentary and write a book “La Symphonie oubliée”, the crossed portraits of the composer and the conductor, published by Robert Laffont in Mai 2021.
Her first disc with the Orchestre national d’Avignon-Provence “Charlotte Sohy, composer of the Belle Epoque” was released on the new label – La Boîte à Pépites / Recording Women Composers. This record has received numerous national and international awards, including Diapason Découverte, Diamant Opéra Magazine, 5 stars Classica, and was nominated for the International Classic Awards.
