Barbara Dragan is one of the most exciting batons in Europe and was named Young Associate Conductor at Orchestre National de France.

With a broad repertoire ranging from Baroque to contemporary music, and from chamber orchestras to full-scale operas, Dragan has led renowned orchestras such as Orchestre National de France, NOSPR Katowice, Orchestre de Chambre de Paris, Kammerakademie Potsdam, Sinfonia Varsovia, Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Sinfonietta, Bochumer Symphoniker, Magdeburgische Philharmonie, Sinfonietta Cracovia, Festival Orchestra Wien, Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra, and Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester Frankfurt.

Born into a Polish family of scientists, Dragan started playing violin at the age of five. While studying violin and oboe, she passed her final exams in advanced mathematics and physics, though music would have the last word. Dragan studied at Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hamburg and at Universität der Künste in Berlin. Sir Roger Norrington, Kazuki Yamada and Marin Alsop are among her longtime mentors. She acted as Conducting Fellow at Cabrillo New Music Festival in Santa Cruz and Ravinia Festival in Chicago. In 2021/22 season she was named Conducting Fellow at the Dallas Opera Hart Institute and was the recipient of the Taki Alsop Conducting Fellowship (TACF). She also received the Claussen-Simon Stiftung and DAAD Fellowships. She is assisting Cristian Măcelaru, Kazuki Yamada, Daniele Gatti, François-Xavier Roth, Andrés Orozco-Estrada, and Trevor Pinnock, among others.

Dragan recorded the musical fairy tale “Lena and the Enchanted Orchestra” composed by Mathieu Lamboley, recently released in French and published by Éditions Gallimard, to warm reviews. With a specialty in Mozart, Franck, and Ravel, her direction of Gounod’s Faust was lauded for how it “maintained taut control … suavely managed tension and phrased naturally” (Scott Cantrell, Dallas News).

In March 2024 Dragan recorded music for the Opening Ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games 2024 with Orchestre National de France, which garnered an invitation to record with the Orchestre de Paris, and return to record for the Paralympics with ONF. Other upcoming highlights include debuts at Opera de Toulon, Orchestre de Chambre de Paris, Sinfonia Varsovia, Philharmonic Choir Tokyo, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, Orchestra Swizzera Italiana, Orchestre d’ile de France, Aichi Chamber Orchestra in Japan, Orchestre Philharmonique du Maroc, and Symphony Nova Scotia.

* TYB Arts represents Barbara Dragan worldwide.