“Julien Masmondet demonstrates his ability to inspire the musicians in a wide repertoire, from classical style to contemporary music, from chamber ensemble to large symphonic repertoire. »
Louis Langrée
“Julien Masmondet is a diligent artist with solid musicianship and a keen intellect. »
Paavo Järvi
A singular artist and musical explorer, Julien Masmondet is distinguished by his innovative approach to conducting. A regular guest of prestigious orchestras in France and internationally, he has conducted in iconic venues such as Paris, Quebec City, Warsaw, Vienna, Moscow, Prague, Naples, and Riga. His career was enriched by a significant collaboration with Paavo Järvi as assistant conductor of the Orchestre de Paris, allowing him to expand his repertoire and work with masters such as Herbert Blomstedt, Louis Langrée, David Zinman, and Christoph von Dohnanyi.
Renowned for his musical instinct, contagious energy, and ability to unite musicians, Julien Masmondet excels in both symphonic and operatic repertoire. Passionate about contemporary music, he regularly commissions and creates new works, reinvents concert formats, and performs in unconventional venues, demonstrating a constant commitment to opening classical music to new audiences.
In 2020, he founded the ensemble Les Apaches!, with which he establishes a fruitful dialogue between contemporary creation and works of the past, collaborating with artists from various disciplines. Among his recent projects are Street Art, captured live by Arte at the Musée d'Orsay, Rave-L Party, created at the Théâtre du Châtelet and then presented on an international tour, Rideau!, created at the Théâtre du Châtelet in May 2026, and Indefinito, designed specifically for the Louvre Museum, echoing the Michelangelo and Rodin exhibition.
On the recording front, Julien Masmondet has recorded for prestigious labels such as Sony Music, Warner Classics, and Aparté, collaborating with renowned orchestras like the Orchestre National de France and the Czech National Symphony Orchestra. His recent performance of Florent Schmitt's La Tragédie de Salomé with Les Apaches, acclaimed by critics, received accolades such as a Diapason d'Or and a Choc Classica. With the B Records label, they have just launched an "Apaches Collection," marked by the release of the single Niviana's Devil Drop by Fabien Cali and by the 2026 recording of Stravinsky's Histoire du Soldat with Didier Sandre of the Comédie Française and Rave-L Party at the Caen Theater.
Julien Masmondet teaches at the École Normale de Musique-Alfred Cortot in Paris, where he trained under Dominique Rouits and where he perpetuates the French school of conducting inherited from Charles Munch, Jean Fournet, and Pierre Dervaux. He also teaches conducting at the CNSMD in Lyon and gives masterclasses on French music abroad.
