At the helm of leading orchestras and ensembles, Simon Proust is part of a new generation of open-minded and eclectic French conductors who approach a wide repertoire with passion and rigour, and who were hailed as ‘conducting revelations’ at the Victoires de la Musique Classique awards in 2025.

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For the past ten years, he has conducted the music of our time with equal passion with the Ensemble Intercontemporain (as assistant conductor and then guest conductor), the Ensemble Ars Nova, Les Métaboles and Multilatérale (guest conductor). More recently, he has expanded his repertoire to include Baroque music on period instruments, thanks in particular to Laurence Equilbey and Emmanuelle Haïm, with whom he has been collaborating since 2022 at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, the Aix-en-Provence Festival, the Dutch National Opera, etc. At the same time, he is invited to conduct leading symphony orchestras in a varied repertoire. He conducts the Orchestre National des Pays-de-la-Loire, the Orchestre National de Bordeaux Aquitaine, Les Siècles, the Orchestre de Bretagne, the Orchestre de l'Opéra de Toulon, the Orchestre National de Metz, the Orchestre National de Lille, the Orchestre Symphonique Région-Centre-Tours-Val-de-Loire, and the Orchestre de Picardie. He also performs on stages such as the Philharmonie de Paris, the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, and the Théâtre du Châtelet, accompanying artists such as Bertrand Chamayou, Vanessa Wagner, Marie-Nicole Lemieux, and others.

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During the 2025-2026 season, he will make his debut at the Lausanne Opera (Switzerland), the Avignon Orchestra and the Flanders Orchestra (Belgium). He will conduct his first Handel oratorio at the Rennes Opera House with Le Banquet Céleste and will reunite with Emmanuelle Haïm at the Amsterdam National Opera and the Zurich Opera House. He will also make his debut conducting the Ensemble XX-21, which he now leads at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse in Lyon. He will also conduct the Pays-de-la-Loire National Orchestra and the Tours Opera.

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Noticed by Bernard Haitink in Lucerne and distinguished by several international awards, notably at the Princess Astrid Conducting Competition in 2018, Simon Proust studied conducting with Alain Altinoglu at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et Danse de Paris, then at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

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Passionate about passing on his knowledge, he is the musical director of the Orchestre des Jeunes du Centre and the Ensemble Cartésixte. He is also very committed to promoting amateur music-making and teaches conducting. Simon Proust was named ‘Talent Adami 2016’ and ‘Génération Spedidam 2022-2024’.