Born in 1975, Canadian conductor and pianist Yannick Nézet-Séguin has consistently elicited delicate, spellbinding performances throughout his climb to top-level postings with the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Metropolitan Opera in New York. His refined approach—spurred by an appreciation for the techniques of master conductors Carlo Maria Giulini and Charles Dutoit—tends toward brisk, exciting tempos (Mendelssohn's Fourth Symphony), dreamy takes on the French masters (Ravel and Berlioz), and affecting readings of the deeply emotional music of Bruckner (Symphony No. 8) and Tchaikovsky (Symphony No. 6).