Valérie Sainte-Agathe

Artistic Director

Internationally acclaimed for her precision, artistry, and bold programming, Valérie Sainte-Agathe has emerged as one of today’s most compelling chorus masters and conductors. Celebrated for her interpretive depth and creative leadership across symphonic, operatic, and contemporary repertoire, she brings an exceptional blend of musicianship, vision, and collaborative expertise to every ensemble she leads.

Since 2022, Sainte-Agathe has served as Chorale Director of Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale, preparing the professional ensemble for conductors Richard Egarr, John Butt, Ruben Valenzuela, Nicholas McGegan, and Peter Whelan. In December 2025, she will make her conducting debut with the orchestra in a landmark program featuring Vivaldi’s Gloria, the world premiere of Roderick Williams’s Quem Pastores Laudavere, and the U.S. premiere of Caroline Shaw’s The Holdfast—a reflection of her artistry at the intersection of historical performance and contemporary innovation.

Sainte-Agathe has been invited by the San Francisco Symphony to prepare works by Brahms under Maestra Nathalie Stutzmann, and will collaborate with the New Century Chamber Orchestra on new works by Nico Muhly and David Conte. Guest conducting engagements include Oakland Symphony chorus, Volti, the Kronos Quartet, and the Philip Glass Ensemble, with appearances at Carnegie Hall, the Barbican Centre, Lincoln Center, and the Kennedy Center.

As Artistic Director of the San Francisco Girls Chorus since 2013, she has commissioned over thirty new works and led collaborations with the San Francisco Symphony, SF Opera, Chanticleer, and Opera Parallèle. In 2024, she was named Chevalière des Arts et des Lettres by the French Minister of Culture.