Fayçal Karoui

The Tunisian-French conductor Fayçal Karoui studied at the conservatories of Saint-Maur-des-Fossés and Paris. After receiving an Aïda scholarship, he worked under Michel Plasson at the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, after which he became Plasson’s assistant. In 2002, Karoui was appointed chief conductor of the Orchestre de Pau Pays de Béarn, a position he still holds. Additionally, he served as the musical director of the New York City Ballet from 2006 to 2012 and led the Orchestre Lamoureux in Paris from 2012 to 2014.

Karoui regularly conducts the Wiener Philharmoniker for ballet performances at the Wiener Staatsoper. He has also worked as a guest conductor with orchestras such as the Orchestre National de France, the Orchestre de l’Opéra national de Paris, the Hong Kong Sinfonietta, the New Japan Philharmonic, and the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra. He previously conducted Dutch Ballet Orchestra for Dutch National Ballet productions including Best of Balanchine (2016), Best of Balanchine III (2019), Nutcracker & Mouse King (2021), and Balanchine / Van Manen / Arqués (tour, 2022).

In 2013, Karoui was named a Chevalier of the French Ordre des Arts et Lettres, and in 2015, he received an award from the French Académie des Beaux-Arts.

Last updated: 04-02-2025