Artistic and musical director of the Paris Mozart Orchestra
Co-founder and co-director of La Maestra
Claire Gibault began her career at the Opéra National de Lyon before becoming the first woman to conduct the Filarmonica della Scala and the musicians of the Berlin Philharmonic. She was Music Director of Musica per Roma, and alongside her own flourishing career she spent a number of years as assistant of Claudio Abbado, collaborating with him at Milan’s La Scala, the Vienna’s Staatsoper and London’s Royal Opera House Covent Garden. In 2004, she helped Abbado found the Orchestra Mozart di Bologna.
Over the years, Claire has conducted at some of the world’s most renowned opera houses, theaters and festivals, and was invited to conduct orchestras such as Orquestra Filarmonica de la UNAM (Mexico), Orchestra Verdi Milano, Orchestra della Toscana, Lausanne Sinfonietta and Orchestra Sinfonica Siciliana.
In 2011, Claire Gibault founded the Paris Mozart Orchestra, with which she performs around 30 concerts per year, both in prestigious venues and in places far removed from classical music. The Paris Mozart orchestra recently performed at Berlioz festival, Maison de la Culture de Bourges, Philharmonie de Paris, Bozar Brussels and Folle Journée de Nantes.
Very committed to creation, she regularly collaborates with composers such as Graciane Finzi, Wolfgang Rihm, Silvia Colasanti, Fabio Vacchi, Edith Canat de Chizy, Philippe Hersant, Alexandra Grimal, Manon Lepauvre or Orlando Bass.
Passionate about transmission and education, Claire Gibault is frequently invited to give conducting masterclasses abroad and also runs her own series of masterclasses in Paris.
A committed advocate for equality and diversity, she is also the co-founder of La Maestra, the International Competition and Academy for Women Conductors, whose 4th edition will be held 23-28 February 2026 at the Philharmonie de Paris.
In 2010, Claire Gibault published La Musique à mains nues with Éditions L’Iconoclaste. In 2023, she was recognized as one of Forbes France’s 40 Women of the Year and received the First Prize at the Chaumet Echo Culture Awards, honoring impactful projects led by women.
She is also an Officer of the Légion d’Honneur and a Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters.
