The two conductors Steven Sloane and Fabio Biondi form the artistic leadership of the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra. Steven Sloane has been appointed the new Chief Conductor and took up his position from the 2007/2008 season, while Fabio Biondi startet his engagement as Artistic director of Early Music in August 2006.

Steven Sloane and Fabio Biondi's appointments coincide with an exciting time for Stavanger and the orchestra. In 2008 the city celebrated its year as European Capital of Culture, and in 2012 the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra will move into a brand new concert hall.

Steven Sloane (USA, born 1958)

Steven Sloane is among the most creative conductors to have emerged in recent years. Through his work with orchestras, festivals, choruses and opera companies across Europe and America, he has won acclaim for his compelling programming and extraordinary versatility. His passion for unusual repertoire, interest in eclectic juxtapositions of music of divergent eras and styles, comittment to contemporary works and willingness to challenge convention, have established him as a bold champion for the future of concert music.

As General Music Director of the city of Bochum in Germany, he twice won the prestigious German Publisher's Award for Best Programming of the Year and also received a Grammy nomination in 2004. Since 2002, Steven sloane has been holding the position as Music Director of the American Composer's Orchestra, the leading American orchestra for contemporary music, with whom he regularly premieres at New York's Carnegie Hall.

Born in Los Angeles in 1958, Steven Sloane studied viola, musicology and conducting at UCLA, and continued conducting studies with Eugene Ormandy, Franco Ferrara and Gary Bertini. His previous positions include Principal Resident Conductor at Frankfurt Opera, Music Director of the Opera North in Leeds, England and Music Director of the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, USA.

Steven Sloane

Fabio Biondi (Italy, born 1961)

The violinist Fabio Biondi is regarded today as one of the most influential musicians within authentic performance practice, and in particular in Italian Baroque Music. He made his debut at age 12 with the Italian Radio Symphony Orchestra and performed as a soloist on baroque violin in the Musikverein in Vienna at the age of 16. This led to a career focusing on Early Music.

Biondi is founder of the Early Music ensemble Europa Galante, which from its inception in 1990, rapidly gained a reputation of high quality which is currently regarded as one of the best in its field. Biondi still leads Europa Galante and tours all over the world with the ensemble. Several of the ensemble's cd-recordings have been awarded the Diapason d'Or,

Biondi now records exclusively for Virgin.

Fabio Biondi