Yoel Levi has been Principal Conductor of the Orchestre National d'Ile de France since 2005. During his tenure he has toured with the orchestra nationally and throughout Europe.
As Principal Guest Conductor of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, he led the IPO on a US tour in 2004, and on a festive tour celebrating the 60th anniversary of the State of Israel in Mexico in 2008. He served as Chief Conductor of the Flemish Radio Orchestra (2001-2007) and as Music Director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (1988-2000).
His conducting engagements include appearances with orchestras in London, Paris, Berlin, Prague, Budapest, Rome, Frankfurt, Munich, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Israel, Korea and Japan. In North America, he has conducted the New York Philharmonic and the orchestras of Boston, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Chicago, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Washington, Minnesota, Toronto and Montreal among others.
Since his Opera House debut in 1997 at the Teatro Communale in Florence, Italy, he has also conducted operas at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Prague, Paris, Rotterdam, Torre de Lago and the Atlanta Opera.
Yoel Levi has made more than 40 recordings on different labels with various orchestras, including the Cleveland Orchestra, the London Philharmonic, the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Flemish Radio Orchestra, Orchestre National d'Ile de France, Orchestre National de France and the Atlanta Symphony. He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts Degree by Oglethorpe University in Atlanta (1997) and was named Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (2001).
Born in Romania, Yoel Levi grew up in Israel. He studied at the Tel Aviv Academy of Music, where he received a Master of Arts degree with distinction, and at the Jerusalem Academy of Music under Prof. Mendi Rodan. He also studied with Franco Ferrara in Italy, Kiril Kondrashin in Holland, and at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. In 1978, he won First Prize at the BesanæÌon International Conducting Competition and became assistant to Lorin Maazel at the Cleveland Orchestra, serving as Resident Conductor from 1980 to 1984.