Roberto
Beltrán Zavala
Conductor
“There is a thrilling intensity here, a powerful sense of common purpose, that one hears only in the best ensembles.”
“The orchestra under conductor Roberto Beltrán Zavala gives careful, tense performances that modulate beautifully.”
Roberto Beltrán-Zavala is widely regarded by orchestras, audiences, and music critics as one of the most compelling conductors of his generation. Over the years, he has earned a strong international reputation as a top-tier artist. Known for his exceptional communication skills and outstanding musicianship, Beltrán-Zavala forges deep and dynamic connections with the orchestras he works with, gaining recognition for his unwavering dedication to every performance.
A leading authority in contemporary music, Mr. Beltrán-Zavala has premiered over a hundred works by composers from various backgrounds and eras. His contributions in this field have not only expanded the reach of new compositions but have also solidified his standing as a conductor with a remarkable affinity for modern repertoire.
In recent seasons, his musical journey has brought him to some of the most prestigious orchestras across the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, France, Romania, Poland, Malta, Argentina, and Mexico, where he has made highly successful debuts. His repertoire includes the complete symphonic works of Dmitri Shostakovich and Gustav Mahler, as well as key 20th-century masterpieces by composers such as Stravinsky, Varèse, Boulez, Messiaen, Bartók, and Ligeti, alongside more than twenty operas.
Between 2015 and 2023, he served as principal conductor of the Universidad de Guanajuato Symphony Orchestra (OSUG). He is currently the artistic director of Rotterdam’s re:orchestra—hailed by critics as one of Europe’s finest chamber ensembles—and the music director of the Palermo Classica International Festival in Italy.
Throughout his career, he has collaborated with renowned ensembles, including the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century, the Mexican National Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestre d’Auvergne, the Rotterdam Philharmonic, the Silesian Philharmonic, the Holland Sinfonia, the Romanian Radio National Orchestra, the Belgian Chamber Orchestra, the Bremerhaven Opera, the Sinfonica di Sanremo, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of Wallonia, and the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra.
His European debut album, released by BIS Records in 2016 as part of the Essential Music series, received critical praise from publications such as The Strad, Gramophone, Klassik Heute, and Amadeus, while also being well received by audiences. In 2019, OSUG unveiled a live recording of Mahler’s Third Symphony, followed in 2022 by an album featuring Shostakovich’s Tenth Symphony, released under the French label Evidence Classics.
In October 2022, Roberto Beltrán-Zavala was honoured with the prestigious Mahler Award by the Mahler Foundation in recognition of his extraordinary contributions to the interpretation and promotion of Gustav Mahler’s music.
Holding both Mexican and Dutch citizenship, he currently resides in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
