Barbara Dragan

Barbara Dragan is one of the most exciting batons in Europe and was named Young Associate Conductor at Orchestre National de France for the 2023/24 season.
Dragan has led renowned orchestras such as Orchestre National de France, NOSPR Katowice, Orchestre de Chambre de Paris, Kammerakademie Potsdam, Sinfonia Varsovia, Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Sinfonietta, Bochumer Symphoniker, Sinfonietta Cracovia, Magdeburgische Philharmonie, Festival Orchestra Wien, Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra, and Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester Frankfurt.

Born into a Polish family of scientists, Dragan started playing violin at the age of five. While studying violin and oboe, she passed her final exams in advanced mathematics and physics, though music would have the last word. Dragan studied at Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hamburg and at Universität der Künste in Berlin.
She acted as Conducting Fellow at Cabrillo New Music Festival in Santa Cruz and Ravinia Festival in Chicago. In 2021/22 season she was named Conducting Fellow at the Dallas Opera Hart Institute and was also the recipient of the Taki Alsop Conducting Fellowship (TACF). She is assisting Cristian Măcelaru, Kazuki Yamada, Daniele Gatti, François-Xavier Roth, Andrés Orozco-Estrada, and Trevor Pinnock, among others.

Dragan recorded the musical fairy tale “Lena and the Enchanted Orchestra” composed by Mathieu Lamboley, recently released in French and published by Éditions Gallimard, to warm reviews. With a specialty in Mozart, Franck, and Ravel, her direction of Gounod’s Faust was lauded for how it “maintained taut control … suavely managed tension and phrased naturally” (Scott Cantrell, Dallas News).

Upcoming highlights include recordings with the ONF for the Paris Olympic Games 2024, and debuts at Opera de Toulon, Orchestre de Chambre de Paris, Sinfonia Varsovia, Philharmonic Choir Tokyo, and Symphony Nova Scotia.

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