Musicians of sinfonia ViVA

André de Ridder
Principal Conductor

Appointed Principal Conductor of sinfonia ViVA in 2007, André de Ridder has appeared with many of the UK's leading orchestras, and remains a frequent guest at the Hallé Orchestra where he held the post of Assistant Conductor 2004-2006. In Germany, he has worked with such orchestras as NDR Radiophilharmonie Hannover, the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Kammerakademie Potsdam, SWR Stuttgart, Ensemble Oriol, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and at the Komische Oper.

Besides his central role with sinfonia ViVA, in 2007-08 he makes a number of notable debuts, including those with BBC Symphony Orchestra, Malmö Symfoni Orkester and Mozarteum Salzburg. He returned to the BBC Proms, where he made his debut in 2006; this time conducting the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra in HK Gruber's 'Aerial', with Håkan Hardenberger as soloist. He has begun the season conducting the rapturously received premiere performances of 'Monkey: Journey to the West', a piece of music theatre written by Damon Albarn, at the inaugural Manchester International Festival. The production later moves to the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris and, later, at Berlin Staatsoper.

de Ridder has formed particularly close connections with composers such as Saariaho, Hallgrimsson, Judith Weir and Henze. In the current season, he returns to the Philharmonia Orchestra's 'Music of Today' series, and one of his appearances with BBC Symphony Orchestra this season will be as part of their focus on Judith Weir, at London's Barbican Centre.

André de Ridder made his debut at English National Opera with the world premiere run of Gerald Barry's opera The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant, leading to a reinvitation to conduct The Marriage of Figaro. He has made a substantial impression at this year's Grange Park Opera festival and has been reinvited for future performances. At the Salzburg Festival 2003, he worked on the world premiere production of Henze's L'Upupa oder Der Triumph der Sohnesliebe, and at the Teatro Real in Madrid in December 2004, he was Musical Director for a highly acclaimed production of Henze's El Cimarrón.

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Photo credit: Marco Borggreve