British conductor Duncan Ward has established himself as 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. Duncan is Music Director of philharmonie zuidnederland and Mediterranean Youth Orchestra, Festival d’Aix-en-Provence.
Recent and future highlights include engagements with Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, London Symphony Orchestra, Orquestra Sinfònica de Barcelona i Nacional de Catalunya or the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. During the 2021-22 season, Duncan returns to Oper Köln for productions of ›Salome‹ at the beginning of the season, and later makes his debut with Opera du Rhin for ›Cosi fan Tutte‹.
Also an accomplished composer – winner of the 2005 BBC Young Composer of the Year – Duncan is now published by Peters Edition. His works have been performed by the Swedish Radio Symphony, LSO and BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Also passionately involved in music charity projects across India or South Africa, he had the rare privilege to personally study Indian classical music with the late great sitarist Ravi Shankar.
From 2012-14 he was Conducting Scholar of the Berliner Philharmoniker Orchester-Akademie, to which he was appointed on the recommendation of Sir Simon Rattle. And from 2015-2017, he was Principal Conductor of Sinfonia Viva – one of the UK’s most dynamic ensembles. He also held the post of Associate Conductor of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain.