Charles Olivieri-Munroe

Charles Olivieri-Munroe’s hold on public imagination stems from a ‘combination of talent and charisma’ (New York Times) and a ‘passion for purity of orchestral sound’ (Toronto Star) supported by a proven ability for connecting with a strikingly diverse audience.

He is artistic director and principal conductor of the Cracow Philharmonic Orchestra (since 2015); and, concurrently honorary chief conductor with the North Czech Philharmonic Orchestra (since 2013), previously its music director (since 1997). He is the newly named principal guest conductor with Thürringen Philharmonie in Germany (2019).

Charles Olivieri-Munroe regularly appears with major orchestras and opera houses throughout the world including the Israel Philharmonic, Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Berlin Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester, Kyoto Symphony Orchestra, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Munich Symphony Orchestra,

Danish Radio Symphony, Czech Philharmonic, Budapest Symphony Orchestra, Warsaw Philharmonic, Royal Brussels Philharmonic, Sydney Opera, Berlin Opera, Frankfurt Alte-Oper, Hong Kong Opera, Prague National Theatre, Venice Teatro Fenice, and many others.

Born in Malta, Charles Olivieri-Munroe grew up in Canada where he studied the piano with the eminent pedagogue Boris Berlin at the Royal Conservatory of Music and at the University of Toronto.  Following his graduation in 1992 he won three Canadian government scholarships to study with Otakar Trhlik in Czechoslovakia at the Janacek Academy of Music in Brno.

His international career was launched by a series of triumphs in international competitions culminating with his being honored with First Prize in the 2000 Prague Spring International Music Festival Conducting Competition.