"Many who witnessed Yannick's impressive debut with the London Philharmonic Orchestra will understand the motivation for this appointment," said orchestra chief and artistic director Timothy Walker. "Yannick's brilliance lies in his ability to move players to exceptional performance and to communicate a strength and vitality of vision to the listener that is totally engrossing."

N_zet-S_guin frequently conducts the Toronto Symphony and other major Canadian orchestras. In 2000, he became the artistic director of the Orchestre M_tropolitain du Grand Montr_al, and since 2004, he has appeared with the S‹chsische Staatskapelle Dresden, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Orchestre National de France, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse and in Britain the City of Birmingham Symphony, Northern Sinfonia and Scottish Chamber Orchestras.

The former student of Carlo Maria Giulini was born in Montreal and studied piano, composition and conducting at the Conservatoire de musique du Qu_bec _ Montr_al. He also pursued simultaneously choral conducting studies at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey.

N_zet-S_guin's future American orchestra debuts include the National Symphony Orchestra in April and the Philadelphia Orchestra in February 2009.