Duncan Ward

BIOGRAPHY

Duncan Ward is one of the most exciting and versatile conductors of his generation and enjoys working regularly with some of the world’s leading ensembles and opera houses. He is Chief Conductor Designate of Philharmonie Zuidnederland, a position he will take up in September 2021. In January 2020, he was appointed by Festival d’Aix-en-Provence as Music Director of the Mediterranean Youth Orchestra.

Recent highlights have included engagements with Staatskapelle Dresden, London Symphony Orchestra, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Aurora Orchestra, Staatsorchester Stuttgart, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic or Finnish Radio Symphony, among others.

Plans for the 2020/21 season include debuts with the Rotterdam Philharmonic, Zürcher Kammerorchester, Moscow Philharmonic, Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg & NFM Wroclaw Philharmonic. He also will return to London Symphony Orchestra, Münchener Kammerorchester, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Royal Northern Sinfonia and Oper Köln for a production of Rigoletto.

In the operatic field, he has directed Trouble in Tahiti of Bernstein i Clemency of Macmillan at the Dutch National Opera, Don Pasquale, Cinderella and Hamlet at Glyndebourne-on-Tour, Death in Venice with M. Padmore, La Traviata at the Baden-Baden Festspielhaus, Simone's Passion of Saariaho at the German Opera in Berlin, The barber of Seville at the Salzburg Festival i Manon Lescaut with the Berlin Philharmonic.

In 2006, Duncan co-founded the WAM Foundation, which sends young UK musicians to teach Western classical music in schools across India. He is also closely involved with the South African charity MIAGI.

As a composer, he was the winner of the 2005 BBC Young Composer of the Year. His works have been performed by the Swedish Radio Symphony, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Endymion Ensemble, BBC Singers and The Sixteen.