Opera Scotland

Thomas Søndergård Suggest updates

Danish conductor.

Thomas Søndergård took up his post as Music Director  of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra at the start of the 2018-19 season, during which he led the orchestra on successful tours to China and the West Coast of the USA. He had spent the previous six seasons as Principal Guest Conductor, following a highly regarded debut at short notice with the Shostakovich 11th Symphony.

Previously he served as Principal Conductor of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales (2012-18) and before that spent three seasons as Principal Conductor and Musical Advisor of the Norwegian Radio Orchestra.  In July 2022 it was announced that he would succeed Osmo Vänskä as Music Director of the Minnesota Orchestra, becoming Music Director Designate from the 2022/23 season and assuming the full Music Director role 2023/24.

His experience conducting opera is wide, embracing traditional and modern repertoire. With the Royal Danish Opera, Copenhagen, his debut was conducting the premier of Kafka's Trial (Poul Ruders) and he returned to conduct Mozart (Le nozze di Figaro); Rossini (Il barbiere di Siviglia, Il viaggio a Reims); Puccini (La bohème) and Janáček (The Cunning Little Vixen).

With the Royal Swedish Opera, Stockholm he conducted Puccini (Tosca, Turandot) and Poulenc (Dialogues des Carmélites). Other engagements include Norwegian Opera , Oslo (Die Zauberflöte); Bayerische Staatsoper, Munich (Turandot); and Deutsche Oper Berlin (premiere of Edward II by Scartazzini).

He has worked with many major orchestras. In Britain these include the BBC Symphony, London Philharmonic, London Symphony and Philharmonia. In Scandinavia he has conducted the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Oslo Philharmonic, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic; Gothenburg Symphony, Helsinki Philharmonic and Tapiola Sinfonietta.

He has also conducted in Germany at Leipzig (Gewandhaus), Köln (WDR Symphony); Berlin (Deutsches Symphonie); as well as the Bamberg Symphony and Mahler Chamber Orchestra. In the 2018/19 season he appeared with the Chicago Symphony, New Zealand Symphony and Orchestre National de France.

In 2011 he was awarded the Queen Ingrid Foundation Prize for Services to Music in Denmark.