Yannick Nezet-Seguin has been appointed principal guest conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. The 32-year-old French Canadian will begin his post with the orchestra's 2008-09 season.

Nezet-Seguin, who became music director of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra last year, first led the London Philharmonic in March.

“Many who witnessed Yannick's impressive debut with the London Philharmonic Orchestra will understand the motivation for this appointment,” said orchestra chief and artistic director Timothy Walker. “Yannick's brilliance lies in his ability to move players to exceptional performance and to communicate a strength and vitality of vision to the listener that is totally engrossing.”

Nezet-Seguin frequently conducts the Toronto Symphony and other major Canadian orchestras. In 2000, he became the artistic director of the Orchestre Metropolitain du Grand Montreal, and since 2004, he has appeared with the Sachsische Staatskapelle Dresden, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Orchestre National de France, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse and in Britain the City of Birmingham Symphony, Northern Sinfonia and Scottish Chamber Orchestras.

The former student of Carlo Maria Giulini was born in Montreal and studied piano, composition and conducting at the Conservatoire de musique du Quebec а Montreal. He also pursued simultaneously choral conducting studies at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey.

Nezet-Seguin’s future American orchestra debuts include the National Symphony Orchestra in April and the Philadelphia Orchestra in February 2009.

By Kevin Shihoten