Edward Gardner, recently hailed by The Times (London) for the “sheer vivacity” of his musical creation, has been appointed Music Director of Norwegian Opera & Ballet. He will assume the position of artistic advisor from February 1, 2022 before beginning his tenure as music director on August 1, 2024.

“It is with great pleasure that I accept the position of Music Director of Norwegian Opera & Ballet,” comments Edward. “I’ve had a fantastic collaboration with the talented musicians there over the past year, and look forward to creating the highest quality performances for Norwegian and international audiences at one of the finest opera houses. of the world.”

Edward is set to assume the role of artistic advisor with immediate effect. He will conduct several opera productions before taking over as musical director, including Un ballo in maschera by Verdi and La Damnation de Faust by Berlioz in the spring of 2023.

Randi Stene, Opera Director of Norwegian Opera & Ballet, is delighted to welcome Edward as the company’s Music Director.

“Ed performed Wagner and Richard Strauss with us last season and proved his unique musical ability, lyrical sensibility, professionalism and winning interpersonal expertise,” she says. “With him on board, the future of opera in Norway looks brighter than ever. I look forward to our close collaboration.”

Edward Gardner is the Principal Conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. He is also conductor of the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, a position he will leave at the end of the 2023/24 season. From August 2024, Edward will assume the musical direction of the Norwegian Opera and Ballet (DNO&B).

In addition to his critically acclaimed work as Music Director of English National Opera (2007-15), Edward has been a regular guest conductor with companies such as the Metropolitan Opera in New York, the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, La Scala, Chicago Lyric Opera, Glyndebourne Festival Opera and Opéra National de Paris. He is currently working on a new production of Peter Grimes of Britten at the Bayerische Staatsoper directed by Stefan Herheim.

He is also in high demand as guest conductor of the world’s leading symphony orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Leipzig Gewandhausorchester.

In October 2021, Edward and the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra received Gramophone’s coveted ‘Record of the Year’ award for their recording of benjamin brittenit’s Peter Grimes. The conductor was recognized for his services to British music in 2012 when he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) on the birthday of HM Queen Elizabeth II .

Edward recently worked with the Norwegian Opera Orchestra in a streaming version of the second act of Richard Wagner‘s Tristan and Isolde, and in the spring of 2021 directed the music of Richard Strauss‘s operas, for the film LISE with soprano Lise Davidsen.

“Norway is still a young opera nation and approaches the tradition in a free way that I find very stimulating,” observes the conductor. “There’s a freshness to the way the musical drama is created here that I’d like us to pursue with every performance. Every time audiences come to the Opera, they must encounter something extraordinary.”