Darren Hargan is the Founder and CEO of Le Foyer des Artistes.He began his career under Alexander Pereira at Opernhaus Zürich in Switzerland. He was engaged for ten years as a pianist and assistant conductor, working with the world's most famous singers and conductors, and was Assistant Music Director of the International Opera Studio. He has conducted across Europe including the Philharmonia Opernhaus Zürich, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester Vienna, Arnold Schoenberg Choir, and the Karlsbader Sinfonieorchester in the Czech Republic. He has conducted at the Locarno Film Festival, Selzach Opera Festival, Theater an der Wien, Grand Théâtre de Genève, Wexford Opera Festival, Opera Northern Ireland, Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, Zürcher Kammerorchester, and Choir of the National Radio and Television in Switzerland. In Ireland, he has worked with the orchestra of the Royal Irish Academy of Music and as a guest conductor at the Blackwater Valley Opera Festival. He is passionate about contemporary music and has conducted several world premières.As conductor, he is passionate about undiscovered and unperformed works of composers. In 2024, he will conduct the world première of Ina Boyle’s chamber opera - Maudlin of Paplewick in his own critical edition which will be published by Stainer & Bell, London. Darren won a scholarship to the joint course at the Royal Northern College of Music with the University of Manchester. He spent his final year at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam where he won several major prizes for keyboard. Subsequently, he won a full scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he was the assistant of English National Opera Head of Music and RAM Head of Opera, Anthony Legge. He studied conducting in Switzerland with Marc Kissoczy and contemporary music expert, Arturo Tamayo.