Martyn Brabbins

He was Associate Principal Conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra 1994-2005, Principal Guest Conductor of the Royal Flemish Philharmonic 2009-2015, Chief Conductor of the Nagoya Philharmonic 2012-2016, and Artistic Director of the Cheltenham International Festival of Music 2005-2007. He is Prince Consort Professor of Conducting at the Royal College of Music, Visiting Professor at the Royal Scottish Conservatoire and Artistic Advisor to the Huddersfield Choral Society.

Brabbins has had a busy opera career since his early days at the Kirov and more recently at La Scala, the Bayerische Staatsoper, and regularly in Lyon, Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Antwerp. He opened English National Opera’s 23/24 season with David Alden’s production of Peter Grimes in what turned out to be his swansong, as well as a musical highpoint of his seven year tenure. He also led a rare performance of Tippett’s opera New Year with the BBC Scottish Symphony, recording it for release on NMC. In 24/25 he conducts The Makropoulos Case for Scottish Opera and Mazeppa for Grange Park Opera.

Amongst his symphonic highlights of 23/24: two BBC Proms concerts, including stepping in for the late Sir Andrew Davis, and two successive weeks at the Barbican in repertoire ranging from Mussorgsky to Nono, all with the BBC Symphony. Engagements abroad have included Stravinsky with the Radio Sinfonieorchester Berlin and Elgar with Lahti Sinfonia. In 24/25 he conducts the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony at Suntory Hall, the BBC Symphony at the Barbican (Boulez), makes his debut with the Danish National Symphony, and returns to the Antwerp Symphony, BBC Scottish and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.

His discography ranges from Romantic to contemporary repertoire, with over 60 recordings for Hyperion Records alone, notably of Elgar, Walton and Tippett. He has received three Gramophone Awards, one for Birtwistle’s Mask of Orpheus with the BBC Symphony (NMC) and another in 2021 for Pickard chamber works with the Nash Ensemble (BIS) and (in 2023) shared the Concerto Award with viola soloist Tim Ridout for Elgar and Bloch with the BBC Symphony (Harmonia Mundi). He also won the Cannes Opera Award for Korngold's Die Kathrin with the BBC Concert Orchestra (CPO), and the Grand Prix du Disque for Jonathan Harvey’s Wagner Dream.

Brabbins studied composition in London and conducting with Ilya Musin in Leningrad, subsequently winning first prize at the 1988 Leeds Conductors' Competition which launched his international career.

As of 12 August 2024 – 541 words. Not to be altered without permission.