Julian Pellicano

Music Director and Conductor

Known for his versatility across a broad spectrum of genres, dynamic interpretations and meticulous technique, American-Canadian conductor Julian Pellicano, in addition to his new appointment as music director of the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra, is a conductor with the National Ballet of Canada and music director of Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Bringing an incisive musicality and collaborative spirit to every performance, he has built a wide-ranging international career leading the Winnipeg Free Press to proclaim that “his versatility is truly astonishing.”

Associate conductor of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra from  2013–2024, Julian conducted hundreds of performances on all of the orchestra’s various series, contributed to the development of the orchestra’s programming and established himself in the community as an ambassador for the WSO. As a guest he has conducted orchestras and ballet companies across North America and abroad.

Highly experienced with live-to-film performances, Mr. Pellicano’s film project credits encompass more than 35 titles, including many legendary films scored by John Williams, recent blockbusters, and classic films of the “Golden Age” of Hollywood.

Julian Pellicano studied conducting at the Yale School of Music with Shinik Hahm and he studied percussion at the Peabody Conservatory, the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, Sweden, and at the Yale School of Music. As a percussionist, he has performed in concert halls and festivals in North America, Europe and Asia. He also holds a degree in philosophy from The Johns Hopkins University.