The English National Opera (ENO) has named André de Ridder as its new Music Director. He will start as Music Director Designate in September 2025 and take on the full role in the fall of 2027.
De Ridder has conducted many leading orchestras. These include the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, and Concertgebouworkest. He has also worked in opera houses such as the Finnish National Opera, Dutch National Opera, Theater Basel, Staatsoper Stuttgart, and Oper Köln.
Currently, he is the General Music Director at Theater Freiburg in Germany. There, he led the German premiere of Nico Muhly’s opera Marnie. De Ridder has a strong interest in new music. He conducted the premieres of Gerald Barry’s The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant in 2005 and Michel van der Aa’s Sunken Garden in 2013 at ENO. In 2007, he led the world premiere of Monkey: Journey to the West, an animation opera by Damon Albarn and Chen Shi-Zheng, at the Manchester International Festival.
Early in his career, de Ridder was a Leverhulme Young Conductor in Association and assistant to Marin Alsop at the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra from 2005 to 2007. He also worked closely with Mark Elder at the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester, ENO’s new home city.
De Ridder said, “It is an honor to have been chosen by English National Opera as their new Music Director. I have been lucky to work with ENO early in my career. This experience shaped how I approach repertoire, new works, and making opera accessible to wide audiences. I am very excited to join ENO during this time of change and growth. I also look forward to working again in the Greater Manchester region.”
David Adams, Leader of the ENO Orchestra, shared his enthusiasm: “I am very excited about André’s appointment. Working with such an inspiring musician and visionary artist as I begin my journey at ENO is thrilling. His knowledge, warmth, and teamwork will be a great strength for ENO for many years.”
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