A native of Paris, conductor Rémy Ballot began his music studies with violin lessons, and he went on to study music theory and pedagogy at the Paris Conservatoire. He met Sergiu Celibidache when he was 16, and prepared for a conducting career, forming his own orchestra while still a student. In 2004, Ballot became a member of the Vienna Philharmonic and the Vienna State Opera Orchestra, playing first violin, while finding opportunities to conduct the ORF Vienna Radio Philharmonic Orchestra in Massenet's Manon and Hindemith's Mathis der Maler. He also participated in preparing a performance of Wagner's Tristan und Isolde at the Opéra in Nantes. Ballot honed his skills with the Vienna State Opera Stage Orchestra, the Altomonte Orchester St. Florian, and the Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire, before becoming the artistic advisor of the Orchestra Academy Ossiach. Establishing a reputation as a Bruckner conductor, Ballot conducted at the 2011 Bruckner Festival in St. Florian, Austria, and was such a success that he was named artist-in-residence, beginning in 2013. As a result of these concerts, Ballot launched a Bruckner cycle on Gramola, and the performances are notable for having been recorded in the St. Florian Basilica, where Bruckner was organist and is buried. For these recordings, Ballot conducted the Oberösterreichisches Jugendsinfonieorchester (Upper Austrian Youth Symphonic Orchestra) and the Altomonte Orchestra St. Florian. ~ Blair Sanderson