GWF VOICES #4 Débora Waldman . What It Takes to Lead an Orchestra

From dreaming of becoming a lawyer to conducting orchestras around the world, Débora Waldman has followed her own rhythm.

Born in Brazil, raised between Israel and Argentina, and now based in Paris, Débora Waldman has built an international career as an orchestra and opera conductor.

In 2020, she made history by becoming the first woman to lead a permanent French national orchestra, when she was appointed Music Director of the Orchestre national Avignon-Provence. But her journey was far from conventional. As a child, she dreamed of becoming a lawyer, not a musician.

For GWF VOICES, Débora shares how she discovered her passion for conducting, what really happens behind the scenes of an orchestra, the importance of connecting with musicians, and why she believes music should be essential to everyone's life.

You have lived in several countries. Can you tell us a little about your childhood?

I was born in São Paulo, Brazil. When I was three, we moved to Israel, and at 14, we moved again, this time to Buenos Aires, Argentina.

I came to Europe on my own about 25 years ago.

My mother was following her heart with each move. When I came to France, it was the first time I had made that decision for myself.

You grew up in a family of musicians. Did you always want to work in music?

Not at all! I always sang and played music because both my parents were musicians, but I originally wanted to become a lawyer. I was interested in law and justice.

My mother is an orchestra conductor, and she created her own orchestra.

One day, when I was 17, I was playing in her orchestra, and she asked me to lead the rehearsal.

I did it, and something clicked.

That was when I decided to study orchestral conducting and composition at university.

What was it like growing up with a mother who was also a conductor?

My mother was incredibly inspiring. She always had a thousand ideas!

She was very young when she had me, only 20 years older than I am. When I was eight, she was 28 and still studying music.

I remember watching her do her harmony exercises and work with choirs. She would play me music and ask me to identify the composer. I usually had no idea, but my little brother would whisper the answer to me!

My mother was really the person who gave me my musical education.

We lived in a kibbutz in Israel, where there was very little classical music around us. I saw only one or two classical concerts during my entire childhood.

It was only when we moved to Buenos Aires, when I was 14, that I began attending concerts regularly.

What brought you to Paris?

I completely fell in love with Paris!

When I was 20, I spent ten days there on my own as a tourist. I was fascinated by the architecture, the museums and the importance France gives to its cultural heritage.

I remember visiting three museums in a single day and thinking how extraordinary it was that a country could preserve its culture with so much passion.

I also visited the Cité de la Musique, which impressed me enormously.

I wanted to continue my musical education at a major international institution. I was considering London, New York, Berlin and Paris.

In the end, Paris won.

Was moving to Paris easy?

Not exactly!

I was 23 and didn't speak French at all. I was a little frightened, so I decided to start in Barcelona before moving to Paris.

But things didn't work out there. I couldn't find a job, and I didn't feel comfortable.

Then an Argentine friend living in Paris called me. She was leaving a studio in the 5th arrondissement and asked whether I wanted to take it over.

The arrangement was wonderful: in exchange for the apartment, I would teach Spanish to the landlord's children.

I immediately said yes!

Within three weeks, I was living in Paris, much earlier than planned.

It felt like destiny.

How did you begin your musical career in France?

I first enrolled at the École Normale de Musique because the entrance examinations for the Conservatoire de Paris were held later in the year.

I studied there for a year, then prepared for the Conservatoire examinations.

The French approach to musical analysis was very different from what I had learned in Argentina, so I also took private lessons.

I don't think my written examination was particularly good! But when I defended my work in front of the jury, I think they saw some potential and decided to give me a chance.

Before coming to France, I had already graduated in composition and orchestral conducting in Buenos Aires, receiving distinctions in both subjects.

But I felt I still needed to learn more.

Most of us see conductors on stage, but what does your everyday work actually involve?

It's a little like being a high-level athlete.

You need enormous discipline and a very strict daily routine. There are many hours of preparation that nobody sees because, of course, you don't have an orchestra at home every day!

A lot of my time is spent alone, studying musical scores.

At first, it can be difficult. You have to develop the ability to hear and imagine the music in your head.

But once you develop that inner musical imagination, it becomes fascinating.

You can spend hours looking at a score and creating entire stories in your mind.

I sometimes compare it to reading a book. First, you have to understand the story and form your own interpretation. Then you have to communicate that interpretation to the orchestra.

And that is not always easy!

How do you lead so many musicians playing different instruments?

The musicians in professional orchestras are extraordinary. They are extremely talented, highly trained professionals.

I'm not there to teach them how to play their instruments. I'm there to work with them.

As a conductor, you need to understand the whole musical picture and create a connection with the musicians.

If they feel that you understand their part and what they need to do, they will listen to you.

But if they feel that what you're saying isn't relevant, the connection disappears.

Our role is to create the conditions that allow everyone to give their best.

What are the most rewarding and most difficult moments of conducting?

The most beautiful moments are when there is complete trust between the musicians and me.

When we understand one another so well that I barely need to speak during rehearsals, the concert can become a moment of pure grace.

It's an extraordinary feeling.

One of the most difficult periods was during Covid.

The masks and physical distancing made communication much harder. I didn't feel comfortable, and sometimes we were performing without an audience.

For me, that was extremely difficult.

The connection between people is such an important part of music.

Can you feel the audience's reaction while you're conducting?

Absolutely.

Sometimes you can feel that the audience isn't convinced at the beginning of a performance.

Then, little by little, you sense that they're becoming more engaged.

You can feel it in their silence, in the atmosphere of the room.

And at the end, when they applaud, you can sense whether the applause is truly heartfelt.

Even with an established career, you continue to learn from other conductors. Why?

Because I always want to improve.

I've had the privilege of learning from remarkable conductors, including Georges Prêtre.

These great musicians belong to a generation that is gradually disappearing, and I feel fortunate to have benefited from their experience.

There are things in music that go far beyond technique.

It's about the soul of the music, about what you cannot necessarily explain in words.

Learning from people who have that experience is incredibly valuable.

I'm continuing that process today, including preparing Dialogues des Carmélites for the Opéra de Marseille.

After everything you've accomplished, what is your dream today?

My greatest wish as a musician is to make music feel essential to everyone.

I think we live in a world that is becoming increasingly visual. Even classical concerts are often presented with additional visual elements.

But I believe music is powerful enough on its own.

That is my first ambition: to help people feel how necessary music can be.

And of course, like every conductor, I still have dreams!

I would love to conduct some of the world's greatest orchestras.

Why not the Berlin Philharmonic?

I'm still dreaming!

GWF VOICES — Every woman has a story worth hearing.

Débora Waldman official website deborawaldman.com