chief conductor Brabant Sinfonia
Joost Smeets
Internationally renowned and 8 international Award winning conductor Joost Smeets is one of the outstanding musicians of his generation, as much at home in the opera house as the concert hall. Recognised for his masterly interpretations, his highly detailed performances combine a finely considered architectural structure with great sophistication and rare beauty. Through a broad repertoire which also encompasses many living composers, he has forged enduring relationships with many orchestras and opera houses throughout the world.
He first came to international attention upon winning 1st Prizes of the Cordoba Conducting Competition Spain 2013, the Black Sea International Conducting Competition Constanta Romania 2014, the London Classical Soloïsts Conducting Competition United Kingdom 2017 and the I° Concorso Citta Di Brescia Giancarlo Facchinetti per Direttori d’orchestra Italy 2018, 2nd Prizes of the Antal Dorati Int. Conducting Competition Budapest Hungary 2015, the Italian Conducting Competition 2019, 3rd Prize (1st and 2nd Prize are not awarded) of the Ferruccio Busoni Int. Conducting Competition Empoli, Italy 2016 and the Special Prize of the Opera Plovdiv Conducting Competition Bulgaria 2023.
Since then, Joost has collaborated with more than 70 orchestras around the world. Antwerp Symphony Orchestra Belgium, Boise Philharmonic Orchestra USA, Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra Ostrava Czech Republic, Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, MAV Symphony Orchestra Budapest, Hungary, Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen Germany, North-Netherlands Symphony Orchestra Groningen Holland, South-Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra Eindhoven Holland, Koszalin Philharmonic “Stanislaw Moniuszko” Poland, St. Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra Russia, Wuhan Philharmonic Orchestra China amongst others.
In 2019 Smeets made his Concertgebouw Amsterdam conducting debut. On the program Mahler's Symphony no. 5 and the 4 last songs by R. Strauss with the VU Orchestra Amsterdam. Since 2022 he has been appointed Chief Conductor and Artistic director of the Orchestra Brabant Sinfonia Tilburg.
