Canadian conductor Jean-Claude Picard is appreciated for his engaging musicianship, combining clarity, eloquence of expression, and a strong sense of narrative. Equally at home in the concert hall and ballet, he has served as Associate Conductor of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Chief Conductor of Scottish Ballet, and Artistic Director & Principal Conductor of the Orchestre symphonique de Trois-Rivières. Recent highlights include returns to Scottish Ballet, Symphony Nova Scotia, Victoria Symphony, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, and Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra, and performances with Cape Symphony, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Orquesta Solistas de América, and the Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra. In Canada, he has appeared with leading ensembles nationwide, and in Europe has conducted orchestras including the City of Birmingham Symphony, Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, and Geneva Chamber Orchestra. A former flautist, Jean-Claude performed with the Bergen Philharmonic (Norway) and Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, in venues from Carnegie Hall to the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.