Toulon Opera Appoints New Joint Music Directors

The French ensemble announced Marzena Diakun and Valerio Galli as their new chief conductors, effective September 2021

Polish conductor Diakun and Italian conductor Galli will succeed Jurjen Hempel who has held the position since 2018.

A graduate of the Academy of Music in Krakow, Diakun is a recipient of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Marin Alsop's Taki Concordia Conducting Fellowships.

She came to international acclaim in Paris during the 2015/16 season, leading the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France. She also won second prize at the 59th Prague Spring Competition and the 9th Fitelberg International Competition.

Galli undertook conducting studies with Piero Bellugi, Aldo Faldi, Donato Renzetti, and Carlo Moreno Volpini — plus served in 2005 as assistant to David Kram. He made his conducting debut in 2004 with “Madam Butterfly” in Orvieto, and in 2007, he directed “Tosca” at the 53rd Puccini Festival. In 2013, he received the 42nd Puccini Prize.

It is “a great honor to be able to collaborate as Music Director with the Opera de Toulon,” said Galli on his Facebook page.