Praised for the depth and fresh insights of his interpretations of both great masterpieces and contemporary repertoire, Nimrod David Pfeffer has appeared at major opera houses including the Metropolitan Opera, Komische Oper Berlin, Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía in Valencia, and Juilliard Opera. He has also conducted leading orchestras such as the San Francisco Symphony, Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra, Hungarian National Philharmonic, and Stuttgart Philharmonic.

Music Director of the Lyric Opera Company of Guatemala, Pfeffer’s 2025–26 highlights include debuts with the Bilbao Opera, conducting Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci, and with the Zielona Góra Philharmonic, as well as returns to the Polish National Opera with Die Zauberflöte, the New Mexico Philharmonic, and the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra.

A sought-after conductor of Mozart, Pfeffer made his Metropolitan Opera debut in the 2021–22 season with Le nozze di Figaro and returned in 2024–25 for Julie Taymor’s production of The Magic Flute. He has also conducted Die Zauberflöte at the Komische Oper Berlin and Israeli Opera, and led productions of Don Giovanni, La clemenza di Tito, and Così fan tutte at the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía in Valencia, Israel Opera, the Juilliard Opera.

Critics have described Pfeffer’s conducting as “a sober and intense dramatic breath, to which everyone responds impeccably” (El Mundo), praising his ability to “capture the delicate moments… with conducting that is subtle and eruptive” (News1). His performances have been noted for “an impressive proof of talent” and “a symphonic hurricane… in well-measured bursts” (Nürnberger Nachrichten), while Art7 observed that “from the very first moments, Pfeffer captivated the audience, not only understanding the music but deeply feeling it, living it with his entire being.”

Also an accomplished pianist, Pfeffer has performed at venues including Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, the Warsaw Philharmonic Hall, and the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest, often directing concertos from the keyboard. His solo album Piano Works by Bach, Schumann, and Chopin was released in 2022.

Dedicated to fostering dialogue between Arabs and Jews in Israel, Pfeffer was honored with the Davis Projects for Peace Award for organizing a peace-focused fundraiser at Carnegie Hall.

A graduate of The Juilliard School and Mannes College The New School for Music, and a former fellow of the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, Pfeffer has received grants from the Bagby Foundation for the Musical Arts and the America-Israel Cultural Foundation. His teachers include Pnina Salzman, Vadim Monastyrski, Gideon Hatzor, Michael Wolpe, André Hajdu, Victor Rosenbaum, Carl Schachter, Claude Frank, Byron Janis, Alan Gilbert, James Levine, and Richard Goode.