Biography
The rising Israeli conductor Elinor Rufeizen has distinguished herself as a compelling presence on the podium and in the opera pit.
She was recently named an Equilibrium Young Artist working with her mentor, singer-conductor Barbara Hannigan, in addition to making her conducting debuts with Orquesta Filarmónica de Jalisco, New Mexico Philharmonic, leading a production of Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito and serving brief stints as an assistant conductor at the New York Philharmonic and National Symphony Orchestra (Washington D.C.). In 2024-25 season, she will make her conducting debuts with Symphony San Jose and Opera Orchestre National Montpellier.
Elinor has conducted the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa, New Jersey Symphony, Jacksonville Symphony, Juilliard Orchestra, Bridgeport Symphony, Haifa Symphony, Orchestre de Chambre de Paris, and Metropolis Ensemble. A former conducting fellow at the Dallas Opera, she was selected to work with Riccardo Muti and lead parts of Verdi’s Nabucco in concert with Orchestra Giovanile Luigi Cherubini in Fondazione Prada, Milan. She has worked with soloists such as Emanuel Ax, Gabriela Montero, Susan Graham and living composers—John Adams, Steven Mackey, and Missy Mazzoli.
Elinor graduated from The Juilliard School with a master’s degree in orchestral conducting, studying with Alan Gilbert and David Robertson. She is a recipient of the Bruno Walter Memorial Scholarship, Charles Schiff Conducting Award for Outstanding Achievement, Morse Teaching Fellowship award, and scholarships from the American-Israel Cultural Foundation.
Initially a clarinetist, she received a bachelor’s degree at the Cleveland Institute of Music and studied at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris In chamber settings, she has collaborated with Daniil Trifonov, members of the Ébène, Kronos, Juilliard, and Cleveland Quartets; and living composers—Jörg Widmann, Shulamit Ran, Steven Stucky, Philippe Hersant, and Andrew Norman.
