Chloé Dufresne appointed in Colorado Springs

Chloé Dufresne has been appointed Music Director of Colorado Springs Philharmonic from September 2025, conducting a minimum of eight weeks per season for an initial period of three years.

The appointment follows an international search and Dufresne’s debut with the orchestra in January 2024, conducting works by Mozart, Fauré, Lili Boulanger and Haydn. Nathan Newbrough, President and CEO said: ‘From the first downbeat, Chloé brought a rare electricity to the podium. She inspired the musicians and stirred the audience. We knew she had the artistry – and the heart – to lead this orchestra into its next era.’  

Dufresne looks forward to developing the orchestra through her repertoire choices. She said: ‘I’m hoping to programme 20th-century and Romantic French repertoire. On my last visit we played Lili Boulanger and Fauré and this is a style we can develop together – the sensation of listening and creating transparent colour. This music runs very deep with me and I look forward to sharing it with them.’

A graduate of the Sibelius Academy, Dufresne’s clear technique, calm authority and imaginative palette have inspired orchestras across Europe, including the Finnish Radio Symphony, Vienna Symphony and Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie, and further afield with the Tokyo Philharmonic and Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestras. She currently serves as Associate Artist with Orchestre National de Bretagne and Artistic Director of Orchestre Ostinato, and was previously selected as a Dudamel Fellow with the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Selected performances

4, 5 October        
Colorado Springs Philharmonic
Pepin, Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky

23, 25, 26 October         
Stuttgart Philharmonic
Mussorgsky, Tchaikovsky, Dvořák

15, 16 October   
Colorado Springs Philharmonic
Hannah Kendall, Michael Daugherty, Beethoven

23 January 2026  
Staatsorchester Rheinische Philharmonie Koblenz
Grieg, Nielsen, Sibelius 

4, 5 March        
Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz
Weber, Schumann, Ligeti