Meet the Orchestra - Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra

James S. Kahane

Music Director

A refined and passionate conductor, French-born James S. Kahane is Music Director of Canada’s Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, founding member and Principal Conductor of the Helsinki Chamber Orchestra, Principal Conductor of the Orchestre de Chambre de la Drôme, and Conductor of the Polytech Orchestra in Finland. He has conducted first-rate orchestras around the world such as the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the Finnish National Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra.  A rising star, at the age of 21 Kahane was designated by renowned Finnish conductor Susanna Mälkki to be her assistant conductor at the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra for their 2017/2018 season. Since 2016, Kahane has been the conductor of the Far(away) Ensemble, a modular and multidisciplinary ensemble dedicated to performing the music of composer Jacopo Aliboni, with whom he recorded the score for the short films Du Temps Perdu and Le Temps Prend Feu, with the later featured at the 70th Cannes Festival.

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Abigail Richardson-Schulte

Composer-in-Residence

Composer Abigail Richardson-Schulte was born in Oxford, England, and moved to Canada as a child. Ironically, she was diagnosed incurably deaf at five. Upon moving to Canada, however, her hearing was fully intact within months. Her music has been commissioned and performed by major orchestras, presenters, music festivals and broadcasters including the Festival Présences of Paris. Abigail won first at the prestigious UNESCO International Rostrum of Composers which resulted with broadcasts in 35 countries. She won the Karen Kieser Prize (CBC), Dora Mavor Moore Award for Best New Opera, Quenten Doolittle Award from New Works Calgary, and a Hamilton Arts Award.

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