MAXIMe PITOIS
Maxime Pitois takes great pleasure in living and sharing musical experiences that are as rich as they are diverse, all while nurturing his passion for the great symphonic repertoire. He stands out for his eclecticism in the worlds of opera, ballet, and film concerts.
A conductor known for his infectious energy, Maxime Pitois is regularly invited to lead many prestigious ensembles around the world, including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of Liège, the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra, Lausanne Sinfonietta, the Melbourne Opera Orchestra, the Metropolitan Orchestra of Sydney at the Sydney Opera House, the Metropolitan Festival Orchestra in Singapore, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orchestra Simfònica del Vallès at the Palau de la Música Catalana, among others.
Guest conductor at the Bandung Philharmonic Orchestra Academy for the summers of 2025 and 2026, he is deeply committed to this socially driven project aimed at developing music education in Indonesia and more broadly across Southeast Asia.
“He undeniably brings tremendous energy to his orchestra and all the performers. His conducting, always attentive to voices and balance, confirms that we are witnessing the rise of a lyrical conductor with a bright future. The intelligence of his tempi, the shaping of musical progressions, and the contrasts deserve nothing but praise.”
Forum Opéra – Carmen by Bizet - June 2023
Particularly acclaimed in the opera world, Maxime strives to be an eclectic and unifying artist, committed to making music accessible to all. He conducts numerous participatory projects bringing together amateurs and professionals alike, notably in France with The Labopéra Bourgogne, where he has served as Artistic and Music Director since 2022, and in Switzerland as Music Director of the Ribaupierre Orchestra since 2017.
Passionate about education and transmission, Maxime was appointed at age 29 as Professor of Orchestral Conducting for the Bachelor program at the Haute École de Musique de Lausanne, and currently serves as Principal Conductor of the symphonic ensembles of the Lausanne Conservatory.
Noticed by Leonid Grin and Neeme Järvi at the Gstaad Conducting Academy during the Menuhin Festival in 2014, he has received several international prizes: Prizewinner and Orchestra Prize recipient in 2017 at the 7th European Conducting Competition in Ostend, “Honorable Mention Award” at the 7th George Enescu Conducting Competition in Bucharest in 2016 and semi-finalist the same year at the Salzburg Festival Young Conductors Award.
“Maxime Pitois’s conducting, always sensitive to the flow of storytelling, brings a powerful collective dynamic while remaining attentive to the soloists and chorus. There is energy, rhythm, as well as delicacy and poetry. The melodramas become little gems, moments of breath in this whirlwind of a score. Balance and cohesion are never compromised — a real achievement given the scale of the production.”
Forum Opéra – La Belle Hélène by Offenbach - May 2025
Maxime first studied conducting in France, then in Switzerland at the Haute École de Musique de Lausanne, graduating with highest honors and commendations from the jury. A recipient of the Carl Schuricht Prize and the Leenaards Foundation Award, he furthered his training in masterclasses with Simon Halsey, Neeme Järvi, Leonid Grin, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, and David Reiland. For seven years, he worked as assistant conductor on various projects with the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra, the HEMU Orchestra, the Lausanne Opera, the Lausanne University Symphony Orchestra, and the Geneva Symphony Orchestra.
With a sensitive and committed approach, and nourished by his artistic and human encounters, Maxime Pitois explores a wide range of styles and repertoires with the aim of sharing the joy of music with all audiences truly, with everyone.
