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.

Duncan Ward has been Chief Conductor of the Philzuid since 2021. Highlights of recent seasons have included his conducting engagements at the opening ceremony of the Salzburg Festival with the Mozarteum Orchestra which was broadcast live on television, his debut with the Staatskapelle Dresden and the Zurich Chamber Orchestra. In autumn 2022, this British conductor gave his Metropolitan Opera debut with Mozart’s ›Die Zauberflöte‹. The season before, he gave his debut at the Opéra national du Rhin in Strasbourg with a new production of ›Così fan tutte‹. Duncan Ward will return to the London Symphony Orchestra for two projects in the 2023/24 season. Other symphonic highlights include collaborations with the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg and the Kammerakademie Potsdam.

Duncan Ward has a passion for a very broad repertoire and as well as working with period instrument specialists such as the Balthasar Neumann Ensemble, he also enjoys working with contemporary music ensembles such as the Ensemble Intercontemporain. Duncan Ward has been closely associated with the Deutsche Kammer­philharmonie Bremen for many years. For example, he conducted the orchestra at the Schleswig-Holstein and the Swiss Klosters Festivals in summer 2021. Ward has also been involved in many international social projects since his youth, including in India and South Africa.