Carl St.Clair with the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra. Photo courtesy of the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra.
Carl St.Clair has been appointed music director of the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra. In addition to leading the Bangkok-based Thailand Philharmonic, St.Clair will collaborate closely with the College of Music, Mahidol University, working with young musicians in masterclasses, workshops, and educational initiatives. St.Clair’s first engagement with the Thailand Philharmonic was in 2019. He recently concluded a 35-year tenure as music director of the Pacific Symphony, where he became the longest-serving American-born conductor of a major U.S. orchestra. His legacy there includes a sold-out Carnegie Hall debut, the orchestra’s first tour to China, and a nine-city European tour. In 2024, after a 27-year association with Germany’s Sinfonieorchester Wuppertal, he was named its Honorary Guest Conductor for Life. He also holds the title of Conductor Emeritus with the National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica, having served as its music director from 2013 to 2023, and was general music director of Berlin’s Komische Oper from 2008 to 2010. In North America, he has conducted, among others, the Boston Symphony Orchestra (assistant conductor, 1985–1990), New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the orchestras of San Francisco, Seattle, Detroit, Atlanta, Houston, Indianapolis, Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver.
