Biography

Roberto Beltrán-Zavala is unanimously recognised by orchestras, audiences, and specialised press as one of the most intriguing conductors of his generation. In recent years, he has built a solid international reputation as an artist of the highest calibre. An exceptional communicator and highly skilled musician, Beltrán-Zavala establishes deep and dynamic relationships with the orchestras he collaborates with, earning widespread respect for his passionate commitment to every piece he conducts.

Maestro Beltrán-Zavala is a distinguished and widely acknowledged expert in contemporary music, having premiered over a hundred works by composers of various generations and nationalities. His work in this field has not only promoted the dissemination of new creations but has also reinforced his reputation as a visionary conductor with an exceptional sensitivity for modern repertoire.

In recent seasons, his artistic activity has led him to successfully debut with major orchestras in countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, France, Romania, Poland, Malta, Argentina, and Mexico. His repertoire spans from the complete symphonic cycles of Dmitri Shostakovich and Gustav Mahler to key 20th-century works by composers such as Stravinsky, Varèse, Boulez, Messiaen, Bartók, and Ligeti, as well as more than twenty operatic titles.

He was the principal conductor of the Universidad de Guanajuato Symphony Orchestra (OSUG) from 2015 to 2023, and he currently serves as the artistic director of Rotterdam’s re:orchestra, regarded by critics as one of Europe’s finest chamber orchestras, as well as the music director of the Palermo Classica International Festival in Italy.

Throughout his career, he has conducted prestigious ensembles such as 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.

In 2016, BIS Records released his European debut album as part of the Essential Music series, receiving critical acclaim in publications such as The Strad, Gramophone, Klassik Heute, and Amadeus, alongside an enthusiastic response from the public. In 2019, OSUG released a live recording of Gustav Mahler’s Third Symphony, followed in 2022 by an album featuring Dmitri Shostakovich’s Tenth Symphony under the French label Evidence Classics.

In October 2022, Maestro Beltrán-Zavala was awarded the prestigious Mahler Award by the Mahler Foundation in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the interpretation and promotion of Gustav Mahler’s music.

Of Mexican and Dutch nationality, he currently resides in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.