Frédéric Chaslin (born 1963, Paris) is a French conductor, composer and pianist.
The son of an architect,[1] Chaslin studied at the Conservatoire de Paris (Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Paris), where he won first prizes in harmony, counterpoint, fugue, piano accompaniment, vocal direction, and orchestration. He later studied at the Mozarteum University of Salzburg, where his mentors included Paul von Schilawsky.
In 1989, Chaslin became an assistant conductor to Daniel Barenboim at the Orchestre de Paris and at the Bayreuth Festival. In 1991, he held a similar post with Pierre Boulez at the Ensemble Intercontemporain. Chaslin was music director of the Opera de Rouen from 1991 to 1994.[2] He was chief conductor of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra from 1999 to 2002, between the music directorships of David Shallon and Leon Botstein. From 1999 to 2005, he was a resident conductor of the Vienna State Opera. He served as Generalmusikdirektor of the Nationaltheater Mannheim from 2005 to 2006.[3]
Chaslin first conducted in the United States at the Metropolitan Opera in November 2002.[4] In July 2009, he made his conducting debut at Santa Fe Opera (SFO), in the first production of La traviata to feature Natalie Dessay as Violetta.[5] In May 2010, SFO announced the appointment of Chaslin as the company's second chief conductor in its history, effective 1 October 2010, with an initial contract of three years.[6][7]
Chaslin's compositions include the Chagall Suite for orchestra, Diva Dance for the film The Fifth Element, songs and lieder, and several operas, including adaptations of Wuthering Heights (libretto by P.H. Fisher) and of S.P. Somtow's Vampire Junction.[8] He has also written a book on music, La Musique dans Tous les Sens (scheduled English title, Music in Every Sense), published in 2009.[1]
Chaslin is divorced from French mezzo-soprano Elsa Maurus, and has two sons from his earlier marriage.[8]
| Preceded by Ádám Fischer |
Generalmusikdirektor, Nationaltheater Mannheim 2005-2006 |
Succeeded by Axel Kober |
| Preceded by Edo de Waart |
Chief Conductor, Santa Fe Opera 2010-present |
Succeeded by (incumbent) |