Lamar Elias
Conductor
Lamar Elias is a conductor, violinist and composer born in Bethlehem, Palestine.
She began studying violin at the National Conservatory of Music in Palestine before continuing her training at the Conservatoire à rayonnement régional de Toulouse with Vadim Tchijik and Clara Cernat.
Her passion for conducting emerged at the age of 13. Spotted by Sabrié Bekirova, she joined the conducting class at the Institut Supérieur des Arts de Toulouse (isdaT), where she earned her National Diploma in Professional Music Studies (DNSPM) under the patronage of Tugan Sokhiev, in partnership with the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse.
Lamar Elias has received guidance from renowned conductors including Paavo Järvi, Leonid Grin, Douglas Boyd, Johannes Schlaefli, Hervé Niquet and Sian Edwards.
In June 2023, she became Artistic Director of the Toulouse Student Symphony Orchestra. A year later, she was appointed Principal Conductor of the Palestine Youth Orchestra. She is also a conductor within the DÉMOS programme at the Philharmonie de Paris, and will lead the Toulouse DÉMOS Advanced Orchestra in partnership with the Orchestre National du Capitole during the 2025–2026 season. She also conducts the string orchestra of the Haute-Garonne union of music schools and conservatories.
During the 2024–2025 season, she appeared as guest conductor with the Mégrine Symphony Orchestra and the Municipal Theatre of Tunis, the Tunis Opera Theatre and the International Festival of Carthage, as well as the Théâtre de Castres in collaboration with Les Compagnons du Théâtre. She has also conducted several regional conservatory orchestras and academies.
Most recently, she served as assistant conductor to Evan Rogister with the Mediterranean Youth Orchestra at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence and was selected to participate in the Järvi Conducting Academy in Estonia.
In February 2026, Lamar Elias was awarded the Musicians’ Prize of the Paris Mozart Orchestra at the La Maestra Competition 2026.