Chloé Dufresne (26) is from France and currently studies conducting at Helsinki's Sibelius Academy. Last August, Chloé was Assistant to Sakari Oramo with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and in November 2018 she will take part in the conducting showcase in collaboration with the Philharmonie de Paris.

Bertie (23) is a published composer and has just finished his MA in Conducting at the Royal Academy of Music, where he was awarded both the Sir Henry Wood scholarship and the Earnest Read conducting prize.

He is Assistant Conductor of Colorado Symphony Orchestra and Music Director of Waterperry Opera Festival.

Alexander Colding Smith (29) is from Denmark and studied conducting in Cincinnati and Sydney. He took part in last year's Solti Conducting Competition in Budapest and in the inaugural Gstaad Conducting Academy in 2014. As a Fellow of the Australian Conducting Academy, he has worked with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra.

We spent some time getting to know Philippe Jordan, Music Director of the Opéra de Paris, and flautist-turned-conductor Jaime Martín, who make their LSO debuts in concerts at the Barbican this month.