Paolo Bortolameolli firmly believes that music is a transformative force. Recognized as one of the leading conductors in Latin America, he is distinguished by his international career and his commitment to cultural outreach, expanding access to classical music, and fostering new generations of musicians. He is Virginia G. Piper Music Director Designate of the Phoenix Symphony, Music Director of the Ópera Nacional de Chile and the Filarmónica de Santiago, and Artistic Partner to Orquesta Filarmónica de Medellín.

Recent and upcoming debuts include Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León (OSCyL), Bamberger Symphoniker, Warsaw Philharmonic, Brussels Philharmonic, Dresdner Philharmoniker, Minnesota Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Houston Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Omaha Symphony, and Rochester Philharmonic. He has ongoing relationships with ensembles such as Munich Philharmonic, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Helsinki Philharmonic, Orchestra della Toscana, Orquesta Sinfonica Simon Bolivar, and Orquesta Filharmonica de Buenos Aires, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and works with soloists such as Maria Duenas, Johannes Moser, Ray Chen, Pablo Ferrandez, Conrad Tao, Julian Steckel, Pacho Flores, David Fray, and Camille Thomas.

Ahead of beginning his tenure as Music Director of the Ópera Nacional de Chile and the Filarmónica de Santiago in March 2026, Bortolameolli developed his relationship through productions of Richard Strauss’s Salomé, Puccini’s ​, and Rossini’s Il viaggio a Reims. His first season’s highlights include productions of Puccini’s La Bohème, Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet (ballet), and Strauss’s Elektra, as well as symphonic programs with guest artists Pierre-Laurent Aimard and Jean Yves Thibault.

In building report among international operatic institutions, his 2024 return to Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona for Puccini’s Madama Butterfly with Sonya Yoncheva, Ailyn Perez, and Saioa Hernandez in the title role earned high praise from El País and Scherzo for its “excellent musical direction” and “passion, energy, and clear ideas.” Recent engagements include Tosca at the Opera de Paris, Golijov's Ainadamar at Detroit Opera, Mozart’s Die Zauberflote at Gran Teatre del Liceu, and Verdi’s La Traviata at Macerata Opera Festival.

Dedicated to expanding the lives of young people through music, his 2022 appointment as Principal Conductor of the National Youth Symphony Orchestra (OSNJ)—an ensemble he has conducted since 2002 and the oldest in the Foundation for Youth and Children’s Orchestras of Chile (FOJI)—allowed him to continue what he considers his personal mission: sharing his passion for the performing arts. He has introduced large scale collaborations around Mahler’s Symphony No. 8, marking the Chilean premiere of this monumental work.

A seven-time recipient of the Arts Critics Association Awards for Symphonic and Opera Director of the Year, he was also named one of Forbes’ “50 Most Creative Chileans” in 2024 and 2026. In 2025, he became the first classical musician to serve on the jury of the Viña del Mar International Song Festival—the largest Latin music festival in the world—highlighting the connection between popular and classical music and the power of music to unite people. He was a guest speaker at the 2018 TED Talk in New York, and in 2020 he released his first book, RUBATO: Procesos musicales y una playlist personal.

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