Born in London, the tenor Mark Padmore is an internationally sought-after opera, concert and recital singer, who performs regularly with the world’s leading orchestras and first-class musicians. In recent years, Padmore’s performances during his residency with the Berliner Philharmoniker under Simon Rattle have attracted particular attention as a »charismatic evangelist« (Berliner Morgenpost) in the rousing production of Peter Sellars’ St Matthew and St John Passion. Previously, Padmore was also Artist in Residence with the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks. In the 2021/22 season, he held the same position at London’s Wigmore Hall.

Alongside his celebrated and highly impressive performances, for example at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, in Benjamin Britten’s opera ›Death in Venice‹ and in other leading roles including at the Aldeburgh and Glyndebourne Festivals, Padmore has a very extensive discography which includes Beethoven’s ›Missa Solemnis‹ and  Haydn’s ›The Creation‹ with Bernard Haitink and the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, songs by Beethoven, Haydn and Mozart with Kristian Bezuidenhout, Schubert cycles with Paul Lewis and a recording of Benjamin Britten’s Serenade which has won many awards including the Echo Klassik. One of this season’s highlights is Mark Padmore’s debut with the Deutsche Kammer­philharmonie Bremen.

In the last few years, Duncan Ward has established himself as one of the most exciting and versatile conductors of his generation. Among last season’s highlights feature his appearance at the Salzburg Festival Opening Ceremony with the Mozarteum Orchestra, which was broadcast live on television as well as his debuts with the Staatskapelle Dresden and the Zurich Kammerorchester. In autumn 2022, this young Brit conducted ›Die Zauberflöte‹ at the Metropolitan Opera New York and in the previous season he gave his debut with a new production of ›Così fan tutte‹ with the Opéra national du Rhin in Strasbourg. He then returned to Cologne Opera in 2019 where he conducted the German premiere of Brett Dean’s ›Hamlet‹. His fortcoming debut with the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra is eagerly awaited in the spring of 2023.

This young British conductor has already been collaborating successfully with the Deutsche Kammer­philharmonie Bremen for several years. He conducted the orchestra in the summer of 2021 at the Schleswig Holstein Festival and at the Schweizer Kloster Festival. He has also received regular conducting invitations from orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra, the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, the Radio Symphonieorchester Wien, the hr Sinfonieorchester and the Gürzenich Orchester Köln.

Since autumn 2021, Duncan Ward has been the Chief Conductor of the Philharmonie Zuidnederland, as well as Music Director of the Mediterranean Youth Orchestra, a new position which was created by the Aix-en-Provence Festival. In addition, he has been involved in many international community projects since his youth, including in India and South Africa.