philharmonie zuidnederland today announced the continuation of their partnership with Chief Conductor Duncan Ward.

Only a year after making his debut with the orchestra at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam in 2019, Duncan was named their new Chief Conductor for an initial term of three years. Announced as the orchestra prepares to celebrate its 10th anniversary, today’s extension will see Duncan remain in post to the end of the 2025/26 season, with an option for further renewal.

Speaking about his relationship with the orchestra, Duncan said, “It has been a great joy to get to know the musicians of the orchestra over our time together so far. I love how open, flexible and keen the orchestra are, no matter what radically varied and challenging repertoire I put in front of them. I feel at home here, and as our mutual trust and connection build we can push each other to ever greater heights. To feel the increasingly warm, enthusiastic reaction of our local audiences is also something I cherish. I’m happy to have this chance to build many more memorable musical experiences together in the coming years.”

Intendant Stefan Rosu agreed, “Duncan is an important factor for us as a personality and as a human being. Not only because of his artistic expressiveness, age, dynamism and energy, but also because Duncan embraces the breadth of our versatile programming and offerings.”

Duncan next conducts the orchestra this weekend for four performances of Bach’s St Matthew Passion, followed by two concerts that include the Netherlands premiere of Adámek’s Where are you alongside Janáček’s Taras Bulba and Ravel’s Deux mélodies hébraiques with soprano Magdalena Kozena.

Duncan and the orchestra can be seen in a six-part documentary series currently airing on Limburg L1, available to stream here.

This weekend sees Duncan Ward make his Metropolitan Opera debut. The British conductor takes the podium for this year’s holiday presentation of Julie Taymor’s production of The Magic Flute, with nine performances between this weekend and the first week of January.

Duncan last conducted the complete version of the work earlier this year when he led the late Michael Hampe’s production at Oper Köln in June. Duncan has made regular appearances with the opera house, including for the German premiere of Brett Dean’s Hamlet after leading the original Glyndebourne tour.

More recently, Duncan made his debut at Grand Théâtre de Luxembourg conducting the Luxembourg premiere of Kurt Weill’s Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny. The November appearance followed a step-in on the symphonic stage when he conducted the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks in Mendelssohn’s Elijah.

Friday’s performance will be broadcast live on Metropolitan Opera Radio, and will be repeated on 24 December on the Toll Brothers–Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network.

Photo: Oliver Killig

Duncan Ward steps in to conduct the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks this Friday in a live radio broadcast pairing Stravinsky’s Pulcinella Suite with Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.3 (Yefim Bronfman).

Duncan had recently been in Munich working with the BRSO in preparing G.F. Haas’ In Vain for Sir Simon Rattle when the call to replace Tugan Sokhiev came. He previously conducted the orchestra in 2016 and will return to the Bavarian capital in May 2021 for concerts with the Münchener Kammerorchester.

Last month Duncan returned to the London Symphony Orchestra in a concert praised by The Guardian in a 5-star review for its “fierce dynamism and electrifying precision”. 

Photo: Hugo Thomassen

Starting September 2021, British conductor Duncan Ward will be philharmonie zuidnederland’s new chief conductor. “The combination of know-how and skill, as well as charisma, are especially important when choosing a new chief conductor for philharmonie zuidnederland, aiming for a fruitful collaboration for years to come. Duncan Ward is an excellent choice to guide the orchestra and shape it in the coming period,” the orchestra’s intendant Stefan Rosu explained. This week, Ward will conduct the orchestra in a Livestream Concert from Eindhoven.

Duncan made his debut with philharmonie zuidnederland in the Amsterdam Concertgebouw in the 19/20 season. “I felt a natural connection with the orchestra from the first rehearsal, and was very excited by our musical exchange on one of the most notoriously demanding works in the repertoire - Debussy’s Jeux. I sensed that this was a palette of colours and a collection of open, curious musicians that I would love to get to know better.”

Duncan Ward and philharmonie zuidnederland

Both the orchestra and Duncan Ward share the vision that classical music can enrich everyone’s life. The philharmonie zuidnederland offers a great diversity of activities for various audiences, much like Ward who, as a conductor and a composer, strongly commits himself to making classical music much more broadly accessible. Ward has an extensive knowledge of the repertoire: his musical interests are broad, reaching well beyond the styles traditionally associated with classical music, and he is widely respected for his interpretation of contemporary music. Together with philharmonie zuidnederland, he will perform a wide range of repertoire, whilst engaging in innovative projects to nurture the orchestra into the future. Ward’s positive energy and infectious enthusiasm combined with the orchestra’s musical qualities are sure to create an exceptional experience for the audience. “Duncan knows how to fathom a musical score and bring a composer’s intentions vividly to life. He possesses the natural authority, conducting technique and experience to communicate his interpretation to the musicians. He is a motivator through and through: he motivates people to bring out the best in themselves. He is demanding, but always with trust, friendliness, and respect,” said Stefan Rosu. Ward has been appointed for an initial term of three seasons, from September 2021 on.

www.philharmoniezuidnederland.nl/stream  

Livestream: Thursday October 29th - 20:00 CET

Haydn Symphony no 49 ‘La Passione’

Fiumara See the Sky About to Rain for 1,5m distance orchestra (world première)

Stravinsky Symphonies of Wind Instruments 

Milhaud La création du monde      

Winner of a concerto recording award at Opus Klassik 2020 for Simon Höfele’s trumpet concerto album “Standards” together with BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Listen here

Photo: Oliver Killig

“Mit sehr viel musikalischem Verständnis gestaltete Ward auch Franz Schuberts heitere „Symphonie Nr. 5 B‑Dur (D 485) aus dem Jahr 1816, die mit ihrer Lebenskraft und Urmusikalität immer noch und immer wieder auch die Jugend begeistert. Ward legte viel Wert auf guten Klang und maßvolles Temperament. Nicht mit extremen Tempi und Vehemenz, sondern mit Klangqualität, angemessenen Steigerungen und vor allem Unbeschwertheit und Frische gestaltete er die sehr ansprechende Wiedergabe.”

Schoeck Elegie - “Das sehr klar und durchsichtig, klangschön und einfühlsam muszierende Orchester in mittlerer Stärke aus GMJO und Staatskapelle fing unter der Leitung von Duncan Ward mit hinreißend schönen Klängen, entsprechend dem Inhalt und Charakter der Lieder, den romantischen Naturzauber ein und flammte mit dramatischer Power im „Waldlied“ bei Gewitter und Sturm auf. Die sehr sauberen und klangschönen Bläser und der feinsinnige Streicherklang trugen sehr zu der eindrucksvollen Aufführung bei. Ward folgte in erfreulicher Weise nicht dem gegenwärtigen Trend der starken (nicht immer sinnvollen) Kontraste zwischen Lautstärke und kaum hörbarem Pianissimo. Er ließ die Musik mit ihren sensiblen Stimmungen und menschlichen Empfindungen in melancholischer Grundstimmung für sich sprechen.”

Ingrid Gerk, Online Merker

“Der britische Dirigent Duncan Ward (geboren 1989) wollte ursprünglich sein Debüt bei der Staatskapelle im März diesen Jahres geben. Nun konnte er den Dresdnern zeigen, wie exponiert und brillant er mit einem reduzierten Orchester prachtvolle Wirkungen erreichen kann. Auch mit Schuberts 5. Symphonie bot Ward im zweiten Konzert-Teil feine Nuancen und Transparenz...Duncan Ward gewinnt mit der sparsamen Orchesterbesetzung einen beeindruckenden Klangreichtum, bewegliche Transparenz sowie feine Nuancen und gibt damit dieser Musik ihre Jugendlichkeit zurück. Besonders gefiel, wie Ward mit seinem körperbetonten Dirigat das Menuetto zur Geltung bringen konnte.”

Thomas Thielemann - IOCO Kultur

“Nun sorgte [Christian Gerhaher] erneut für ein sehr berührendes, intensives Erlebnis, und gemeinsam mit den Musikern der Staatskapelle Dresden und dem GMJO unter Leitung des jungen britischen Dirigenten Duncan Ward, der damit sein Debüt beim Orchester gab, gelang Großartiges.”

Schubert 5. Sinfonie - “Es brauchte nur wenig Zeit, bis die Musiker in die von Duncan Ward hier hervorragend übertragene Lockerheit, in das Schwingen dieser ungetrübten Musik hineinfanden, dann aber war der strahlende Kapellklang (samt jugendlicher GMJO-Unterstützung) fast greifbar und man verfolgte nun wieder leichteren Herzens die in den Details fein ausgehörten Eskapaden dieser Sinfonie. Ein gelungenes Dirigentendebüt, ein ungewöhnlicher, hoffnungmachender Auftakt oder, um es mit Nikolaus Lenau zu sagen: „Mir wächst in solcher Stund‘ und härtet sich der Wille.“

Alexander Keuk - Dresdener Neueste Nachrichten

The Festival d’Aix-en-Provence has today announced the appointment of Duncan Ward as the first ever Music Director of the Mediterranean Youth Orchestra (MYO) Symphonic sessions, effective immediately and for an initial term of three years.

The appointment marks the first time in the orchestra’s history that they will have a Music Director, and the exciting new role will give Duncan the opportunity to build on the orchestra’s activities and merit; from audition processes and artistic planning, through to learning experiences and performances in Aix and on tour.

Operating within the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, the MYO offers talented young instrumentalists selected from across all 22 countries of the Mediterranean basin a formative experience as ensemble and orchestral musicians, with creation and intercultural exchange at the heart of its programmes.

2020 marks an exciting year for the orchestra, with a dazzling symphonic programme led by Duncan Ward and pedagogically supervised by musicians from the London Symphony Orchestra, mediation training supervised by LSO Discovery lecturer Mark Withers, and four Medinea sessions dedicated to intercultural and collective creation directed by jazz musician and composer Fabrizio Cassol.

The orchestra will give three performances with Duncan this summer, presenting an eclectic programme of Francisco Coll’s Mural, Henri Dutilleux’s Correspondances, and Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition:

16 July, Scène 55, Mougins
17 July, Grand Théâtre de Provence, Aix-en-Provence
18 July, Festival Radio France, Montpellier

Duncan says of the appointment:

“I am very excited to be leading the MYO into this new chapter of their history. The potential of the ensemble is enormous. I look forward to not only sharing unforgettable concerts of varied and challenging repertoire with our audiences each summer, but also finding innovative ways to explore and celebrate the diverse heritage of these extraordinary young musicians from across the Mediterranean.”

Riesenapplaus für das Gürzenich Orchester, das unter Duncan Ward zeitgenössische Musik so intonierte, wie man es sich nur wünschen kann. Der sehr junge Dirigent war der ausdrückliche Wunsch des Komponisten Brett Dean. Er hat eine gute, eine wirklich ausgezeichnete Wahl getroffen. 

Live in der Oper, 9 Dec 19

Das Ensemble leistet Außerordentliches, nicht zuletzt, weil Duncan Ward als Dirigent des im Ausweichquartier der Kölner Oper links von der Bühne positionierten Gürzenich-Orchesters stets alle Fäden in der Hand hält. Bretts Musik ist ohnehin schon energiegeladen und birst geradezu vor dramatischen Momenten und packenden Psychologisierungen, doch Ward führt das Orchester und auch die Sänger zu einer brillanten Ensembleleistung.

Guido Krawinkel, Die Deutsche Bühne, 25 Nov 19

“Jocelyn hat die verschiedene Ebenen des Stücks faszinierend zu einem einheitlichen Ganzen zusammengefügt, dreieinhalb Stunden Hochspannung mit „Sitzen auf der Stuhlkante“- keine Sekunde Langeweile. Das lag in erster Linie am Dirigat des jungen Duncan Ward und dem fantastisch aufspielenden, großen und sehr aufmerksamen Gürzenichorchester, unsichtbar auf der linken Seite positioniert.”

Dr. Michael Cramer, Das Opernmagazin, 3 Dec 19

Der junge Dirigent Duncan Ward steuert den riesigen musikalischen Apparat, samt exzellent aufspielendem Gürzenich-Orchester durch die knifflige Partitur. 

Sebastian Jacobs, Der Opernfreund, 25 Nov 19

“Das orchester tönt diesmal von links, und der junge Dirigent Duncan Ward sprüht vor Begeisterung für die anspruchsvolle Partitur, die das gesamte Vokabular der Neuen Musik abruft.”

Olaf Weiden, Kölnische Rundschau, 25 Nov 19

Duncan Ward conducted Hamlet on the Glyndebourne Tour and here marshalled his scattered forces with great aplomb.

Matthew Rye, Bachtrack, 25 Nov 19

Duncan Ward dirige les troupes vivaces du Gürzenich-Orchester Köln avec ce qu’il faut d’acuité, de permission et de liant pour faire monter l’exactitude des sentiments en points névralgiques.

Thibault Vicq, Opera Online, 30 Nov 19

★★★★ ½

“The atmosphere of the production is faithful to Perrault’s dark vision, and the musical direction, under the rising star Duncan Ward, is well nigh faultless, making Massenet’s romantic episodes swell with ardour and his capricious ones sparkle.”

Melanie Eskenazi, MusicOMH, 15 October 2018

★★★★

“this rich score, its sumptuous textures and delicate solos relished by the Glyndebourne Tour Orchestra and the conductor Duncan Ward”

Rebecca Franks, The Times, 16 October 2018

★★★★

“What else but magic can explain how Massenet conjures a world of enchantment out of simply a solo flute and a halo of strings for Cendrillon’s first encounter with her Prince Charming? This is a score of elfin delicacy, which the conductor, Duncan Ward, appreciates”

Richard Fairman, Financial Times, 15 October 2018

★★★★

“In the pit, Duncan Ward conducts with admirable lightness of touch and respect for the instrumental niceties…”

Rupert Christiansen, The Telegraph, 14 October 2018

“Duncan Ward and a crack Glyndebourne Tour Orchestra gave a scintillating account of Massenet’s sugared-almond score, with a magnificently robust Glyndebourne Chorus to ice the cake”

Mark Valencia, Bachtrack, 14 October 2018

“Conductor Duncan Ward is wonderfully alert to Massenet’s sensuously glittering textures, and the Glyndebourne Tour Orchestra play most beautifully for him.”

Tim Ashley, The Guardian, 15 October 2018

“Massenet is sometimes, perhaps often, both inside and outside France, seen as a bit of a workaday composer…But his youthful character does not bespeak musical acquiescence or unoriginality, as Duncan Ward’s prising out of great swathes of magnificent, and fresh, compositional detail here at Glyndebourne showed.”

Roderic Dunnett, Seen and Heard International, 16 October 2018

Joy to be back in Bremen for the third time with this extraordinary chamber orchestra and a highly unusual programme featuring Louise Farrenc's Third Symphony which they performed to great ovation at Die Glocke, Bremen on 19th and the Cologne Philharmonie on 21st January 2018:

"Der 28-jährige britische Dirigent Duncan Ward dirigiert Farrencs Sinfonie (und auch noch das Menuett der ersten als Zugabe) auswendig, ein mehr als bemerkenswerter Vorgang, wenn man bedenkt, dass nahezu alle „Außenseiter-Sinfonien“ aus den Partituren gespielt werden.

Farrencs 1849 uraufgeführte Sinfonie bildet das bejubelte Finale des Konzertes: ihre geradezu wilden Kontraste, ihre immer vorwärtsdrängende Dramatik, ihre wirbelnden Bläserpartien, ihre musikantische Freude und Leichtigkeit, ihre Mendelssohn’sche Elfenhaftikeit formt Ward bestens. Seine Körpersprache entspricht souverän der Musik.

Das gilt auch für die anderen Wiedergaben eines Konzertes, dessen Programm in höchstem Masse originell ist: Es beginnt mit der Wiedergabe der nur in Klavierskizzen vorhandenen 10. Sinfonie von Franz Schubert, deren Trostlosigkeit der Instrumentator Brian Newbould wunderbar akzentuiert und Ward mit unbeschreiblicher Zartheit umsetzt. Dann die Variationen für Orchester op. 30 von Anton Webern, mit denen Ward Weberns romantische Herkunft betont und dankenswerterweise das komplexe Stück zweimal spielen lässt." 

https://www.kreiszeitung.de/kultur/kraft-trifft-ideen-9544500.html

Photo: Richard Hubert Smith

“The conductor Duncan Ward – also a composer, which can only help in tackling a score as complex and layered as this – drew first-class performances from the Glyndebourne Tour orchestra and chorus.”

***** Fiona Maddocks, The Guardian, 29 October 2017

“Then there were the players, kings and queens to a man and woman, in most cases every bit as powerful in this autumn cast as their summer predecessors had been. And conductor Duncan Ward … corralled them all magnificently along with a tour orchestra that sounded as if it’s played this stuff for years.”

**** Mark Valencia, What’s On Stage, 25 October 2017

“Duncan Ward’s conducting has tremendous force. The playing and choral singing are exemplary.”

**** Tim Ashley, The Guardian, 23 October 2017

“In the pit, young Duncan Ward and his orchestra were rightly cheered. This Hamlet doesn’t just deserve your attention, it demands it.”

***** David Mellor, The Daily Mail, 4 November 2017

With the Cuban-European Youth Orchestra at Young Euro Classic Festival. Bild: MUTESOUVENIR | KAI BIENERT

"...Orchestermusik vom Feinsten, gefeilt, durchsichtig, jedes Detail gearbeitet, trotzdem nicht dressiert oder angstvoll, immer leicht und schwebend. Dies ist vorzüglich das Verdienst des jungen Dirigenten Duncan Ward, Assistent von Simon Rattle, Bandleader, Komponist und merklich leidenschaftlicher Vermittler. Vor ihm haben die Musiker keine Angst, sie fühlen sich offenbar beflügelt. Beethovens Geschöpfe des Prometheus wurden blitzlebendig...

Am eindrucksvollsten: der gemeinsame Summ-Gesang des Orchesters. Ein insgesamt sehr gelungener Abschluss des Festivals und eine heiße Empfehlung an alle führenden Orchester der Stadt: Duncan Ward wird eine glänzende Karriere machen, hier heißt es zugreifen!"

**** Clemens Goldberg, kulturradio, 4 September 2017

12th July saw Duncan make a triumphant debut with the Orchestre de Paris at the Festival Aix-en-Provence, in a programme consisting of Stravinsky Suites for Small Orchestra, Schubert Symphony No. 3 and Beethoven Symphony No. 4. As one reviewer observed:

'...c’est avec la symphonie n°4 de Beethoven que le jeune prodige britannique a mis la salle à ses pieds. Bénéficiant d’un Orchestre de Paris affûté à tous les pupitres, Duncan Ward a livré une lecture étincelante et précise de cette partition. Avec une totale maîtrise, il a profité de la qualité des instrumentistes pour mettre en valeur les ambiances de chacun des mouvements de l’œuvre tour à tour puissante et délicate. Le tout de tête, comme pour la totalité du concert d’ailleurs. Un grand moment de direction musicale pour cette première de Duncan Ward au Festival d’Aix-en-Provence.”

Michel Egea, Destimed, 13 July 2017

Saturday 13th May saw Duncan at the helm of almost 500 musicians from across Hamburg in an en masse performance of Terry Riley 'In C' as part of the Elbphilharmonie's Minimal Maximal Festival. The Hamburger Abendblatt captured the electric atmosphere. 

After spending an incredible month studying with Ravi Shankar at his home in California in summer 2010, it was a great joy for Duncan to finally have the chance to conduct his Sitar Concerto No. 2 together with the Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra and Anoushka Shankar as soloist. The concert at the Luxembourg Philharmonie also featured Duncan's own composition 'Fumes', written in 2010 shortly after his return from California and influenced by his impressions there including the whole new world of Indian rhythm, as well as Messiaen's four meditations for orchestra 'L'Ascension'.  

Duncan had a triumphant debut with the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra last night for a concert in memory of Claudio Abbado founding the Wien Modern Festival. With one day's notice before the start of rehearsals he flew to Vienna to conduct the orchestra in Luigi Dallapiccola 'Three Questions with Two Answers', Friedrich Cerha 'Nacht', Georges Lentz 'Jerusalem' and the final movement of  Mahler Symphony No. 10.

Reviewed here. 

5 & 6th October 2016 saw Duncan make a highly successful debut conducting the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Stockholm in an exciting programme featuring Duncan’s own composition ‘Fumes’ , inspired by his Californian summer in 2010 studying with the late great Ravi Shankar, Barber’s Violin Concerto with Alexandra Soumm and Elgar’s Enigma Variations.

Rehearsals begin this week in Soweto for Duncan’s major new work for solo soprano, mixed vocal ensemble, jazz band, and symphony orchestra commissioned by MIAGI (Music Is A Great Investment). The piece takes inspiration from Monteverdi L’Orfeo alongside indigenous chants from across Africa.