François Koh

“Rehearsing and performing Sibelius’ Violin Concerto with François
was a wonderful experience. His enthusiasm and evident love for the music
is inspirational for the orchestra, and his ability to elevate and work with musicians of all levels comes through clearly in the rehearsal process.
As a collaborator, he is one of my favourite conductors to work with-
I can’t wait to make music with him again!”
​
Jonathan Crow, Concertmaster of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra
 
A Heinz Unger Conducting Award nominee, Dr. François Koh holds a Master’s degree in Orchestral Conducting from McGill University and a Doctorate from the University of Toronto, both earned with full scholarships. He was the winner of the 2023 International Conductors Workshop and Competition (Atlanta, USA) and a semi-finalist at the Ionel Perlea International Conducting Competition (Romania, 2023). In 2022, he was a semi-finalist for the Toronto Symphony Orchestra Resident Conductor position and a finalist for the Sudbury Symphony Orchestra Artistic Director position.

Dr. Koh has conducted acclaimed performances with the Savaria Symphony Orchestra (Hungary, Bartók Festival 2019), Filarmonica de Stat Târgu Mureș (Romania), Ensemble Paramirabo (Canada), Ensemble Dal Niente (USA), and the University of Toronto Symphony Orchestra. In November 2023, he guest-conducted the Sudbury Symphony Orchestra, receiving enthusiastic applause from both the audience and musicians, and in November 2025, he appears as guest conductor with Rosedale Symphony Orchestra in Toronto.

From 2015 to 2022, Dr. Koh served as Music Director of the Georgian Bay Symphony, where his artistic leadership brought the orchestra to new heights, earning the 2017 Vida Peene Orchestra Award from the Ontario Arts Council for artistic excellence and community engagement, as well as the 2018 Outstanding Group Award from the City of Owen Sound. The Ontario Arts Council later recognized his contribution by inviting him to serve as an advisor for the 2022 Music Organizations Operating Assessment Meeting, reviewing seventy-seven grant applications from orchestras, choirs, and festivals across Ontario.

An international presence in orchestral music, Dr. Koh founded the Ensemble Orchestral de Dijon (France) and the Vancouver Camerata (Canada), demonstrating a sustained commitment to building vibrant and innovative ensembles. His operatic experience includes work with Opera Appassionata as assistant conductor and performances of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Patience and Iolanthe with the North Shore Light Opera Society.

Born in Korea, Dr. Koh began his musical studies as a classical guitarist at Kyungwon University, where his first orchestra rehearsal sparked a lifelong passion for conducting. He later earned a Diplôme d’Études Musicales in orchestral conducting from the Conservatoire National de Dijon under Jean-Sébastian Béreau before pursuing graduate studies in Canada.

Dedicated to promoting Canadian and contemporary repertoire, Dr. Koh has conducted works by Elizabeth Raum, Malcolm Forsyth, Godfrey Ridout, and Abigail Richardson-Schulte, as well as Indigenous-inspired works such as Richard Mascall’s Nipissing. 

Currently based in Toronto, Dr. Koh is the Founder and Artistic Director of Salon de Musique Canada, a concert series that unites classical tradition with popular music reimagined in a refined classical style.

His mentors include Uri Mayer, Alexis Hauser, Jean-Sébastian Béreau, Pierre Cao, Konrad von Abel, Johannes Schlaefli, David Briskin, Zsolt Hamar, Adrian Gnam, Philip Greenberg, and Frank Klassen.

A passionate advocate for accessibility, inclusivity, and cultural dialogue in orchestral art, Dr. Koh continues to inspire audiences and musicians alike through his artistry, scholarship, and community vision.