Barbara Dragan

Barbara Dragan was a Young Associate Conductor at the Orchestre National de France in Paris, where she prepared and recorded the entire Opening Ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games with the Orchestre de Paris and Orchestre National de France, a project awarded a Grammy.

Her 2025/26 season includes debuts with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, DSO Berlin, and the Malmö Symphony Orchestra, as well as first appearances in Bucharest, Zagreb, Tbilisi, Nancy, Tours, and Vienna. She returns to the RTVE Symphony Orchestra Madrid, Orchestre de Chambre de Paris, the National Orchestra of Chile, and the Beethoven Orchester Bonn, among others.

She was previously a conducting fellow at the Cabrillo and Ravinia Festivals, as well as at the Dallas Opera Hart Institute. She has participated in major international competitions including the Mahler Competition, Princess Astrid Competition, Svetlanov Competition, and the Deutsche Dirigentenpreis.

Her artistry has been shaped by mentors such as Sir Roger Norrington, Kazuki Yamada, Trevor Pinnock, and Marin Alsop. She holds degrees from the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg and the Universität der Künste Berlin.

Born into a Polish scientific family, she began playing the violin at the age of five and also excelled in mathematics and physics. She is currently a fellow of the Deutsche Bank Stiftung’s Akademie Musiktheater Heute. She also performs on baroque violin and draws inspiration from Jerzy Grotowski’s concept of “poor theatre”.

“Dvořák’s Eighth Symphony was played exactly as it should be.”

“Played with a listening quality that could be felt in the chest.”

“An approach that stood in direct contrast to today’s push-forward mentality.”
Sydsvenskan, Sweden

“A clear, vivid and deeply moving unity of sound.”

“An electrifying performance of Brahms’ Fourth Symphony.”

“A complete triumph — complex music revealed in all its beauty.”
(Xenakis) — El Mostrador, Chile

“A conductor of high intelligence, precision and structural clarity.”

“Dragan demands solidity and transparency.”
Berliner Morgenpost

“A well-detailed interpretation with excellent orchestral balance.”
Ritmo, Spain

“Dragan maintained taut control, suavely managed tension and phrased naturally.”
The Dallas Morning News

Léna et l’orchestre enchanté with Orchestre National de France, 2022 for Gallimard Jeunesse

Music to podcast “TinTin et le Secret de la Licorne” with Orchestre National de France, 2023 for France Music

Full Opening Ceremony of Olympic Games Paris 2024 with Orchestre National de France and Orchestre de Paris / Celine Dion, Lady Gaga