The
French conductor Diego Masson studied at the Paris Conservatoire and on
completing his studies became percussionist in Domaine Musicale. Following
a period of study with Pierre Boulez, in 1966 he formed Musique Vivante, a
group he still directs in regular concerts presenting important
contemporary works. After considerable success as Music Director of the
Marseille Opera in the 1970's Diego Masson went to pursue an international
conducting career which has taken him to the major musical centres of
Europe and to Australia. He has been a regular visitor to the UK where he
has appeared with the BBS Symphony Orchestra, the BBS Scottish Symphony
Orchestra, the London sinfonietta and Opera Factory and Opera North. He
has also regularly given conducting classes at the Dartington Summer
School.
Diego Masson's engagements outside the UK have included appearances with the Ensemble Modern at the Munich Biennale, the Hungarian State Symphony Orchestra at the contemporary music festival in Budapest, the orchestra of the ABC in Sidney, and the Helsinki Philharmonic and Asko Ensemble at the Helsinki Biennale. In the 1991/92 season he has appeared at the Frankfurt Festival conducted the first performances of Robert Saxton's new opera CARITAS for Opera North and given concerts with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the Orchestra of Radio France, the Collegium Academicum, Geneva, the Xenakis Ensemble and the London Sinfonietta.