English conductor seizes Norwegian wood

Edward Gardner, former music director of English National Opera and now with the London Philharmonic, has been named music director of Norwegian Opera & Ballet from August 2024.

Gardner, 47, is presently head of the symphony orchestra in Bergen, where he will step down in 2024. He will take over immediately, however, as artistic director to Norwegian Opera & Ballet.

He says: ‘“Norway is still a young opera nation and approaches the tradition in a free way that I find very stimulating. There is a freshness in the way music drama is created here that I would like us to pursue in every performance. Each time the audience arrives at the Opera, they should encounter something extraordinary.’

photo: Mark Allen/LPO