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Nicholas Collon

Conductor
Chief Conductor, Finnish Radio Symphony
Founder and Principal Conductor, Aurora Orchestra

  • British conductor Nicholas Collon is recognised for his elegant conducting style, searching musical intellect, and inspirational music-making. Founder and Principal Conductor of Aurora Orchestra since 2006, he has been Chief Conductor of the Finnish Radio Symphony since 2021 (renewed until 2030). He was Chief Conductor of the Residentie Orkest in Den Haag (latterly also Artistic Advisor) 2016-2021 and was Principal Guest of the Gürzenich Orchester from 2017-2022.

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  • In September 2026 Collon takes the Finnish Radio Symphony to the Helsinki Festival and to the Berlin Philharmonie for the opening concert of the Berlin Musikfest, performing Ligeti’s Le Grand Macabre.  Under his leadership the orchestra has also toured to the BBC Proms, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, and across Germany, and was nominated for Orchestra of the Year 2025 by Gramophone. Their expanding discography together for Ondine includes Wennäkoski (Gramophone’s Best Contemporary Recording Award 2023) and Sibelius (Record of the Month in August 2025 for the 5th Symphony) as well as Elgar, Ades and Lutoslawski.


    Collon leads the Aurora Orchestra at the BBC Proms every year in their hugely popular memorised performances (Mahler 1 in 2026). Aurora are Resident at Kings Place and at the Southbank Centre where they continue to reinvent the traditional concert format.  They tour to major European venues and festivals every season, and revived their ground-breaking Sacre du Printemps production in Spring 2026, with performances in Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Rotterdam, Essen, Zurich, Bern and Geneva.  They have recorded for Deutsche Grammophon and for Warner, winning the Echo Klassik Award for ‘Klassik Ohne Grenzen’ in 2015.


    Collon has conducted the Dresden Staatskapelle twice in recent seasons and joins them in the pit to conduct Don Giovanni in June 2027.  He returns to the Swedish Radio at the Stockholm Concert Hall and conducts the Houston and Detroit symphonies and Bergen Philharmonic for the first time. He recently conducted the San Francisco and Atlanta symphonies and the Munich Philharmonic, regularly appears with the Orchestre National de France, Danish National, Frankfurt Radio, Dresden Philharmonic, Hallé Orchestra and City of Birmingham Symphony, and will return to WDR Cologne.


    Collon has conducted over 250 new works, including many world premieres.  He is also an accomplished opera conductor, having conducted productions across the UK (including at Glyndebourne, English National Opera, Welsh National Opera, Aldeburgh Festival) and at Oper Koeln, in repertoire from Mozart to Britten.  Born in London, Nicholas is a violist, pianist and organist by training, and studied as Organ Scholar at Clare College, Cambridge.


    on debuted with the Munich Philharmonic and San Francisco Symphony orchestras. 


    Collon has conducted over 250 new works, including many world premieres.  He is also an accomplished opera conductor, having conducted productions across the UK (including at Glyndebourne, English National Opera, Welsh National Opera, Aldeburgh Festival) and at Oper Koeln, in repertoire from Mozart to Britten.  Born in London, Nicholas is a violist, pianist and organist by training, and studied as Organ Scholar at Clare College, Cambridge.

    Not to be altered without the permission of Intermusica Artists' Management. 2026-27 season, 408 words.

Performances

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“Nicholas Collon's interpretation of Sibelius is subtle and worthy of five stars.  The orchestra sounds exactly as our national composer had originally written…exceptionally convincing…If Collon's interpretation is not the 'real' Sibelius, what is?”

Helsingin Sanomat, June 2025

"an achingly delicate and heartrending account"

San Francisco Chronicle, November, 2024

“simply one of the boldest and most breathtaking achievements I have witnessed in the Albert Hall … Collon conducted a performance in which all the musicians seemed bonded together, yet paradoxically liberated… his performance couldn’t be bettered” ★★★★★

The Times, August 2024

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Intermusica represents Nicholas Collon Worldwide

Stephen Lumsden
Chief Executive
+44 20 7608 9900

Susie McLeod
Director, Artist Management
+44 7974 828662
smcleod@intermusica.com






Natalie Arands
Associate Artist Manager
+44 (0)7548 313 220
narands@intermusica.com

All artists

Contralto

Avery Amereau

Actor / Narrator

Amira Casar

Chansonnier

HK Gruber

Piano accompanist

Roger Vignoles

Saxophone

Branford Marsalis