We are thrilled to welcome Matthew Halls as Artistic Partner for the 26/27 season, during which he will lead major productions with the BNO.
Matthew Halls has been Chief Conductor of Finland’s Tampere Philharmonic since August 2023.
In addition to concerts in Tampere, the 2026/27 season sees Matthew return to Dallas Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Wiener Symphoniker, Iceland Symphony, Bergen Philharmonic, Milwaukee Symphony, SWR Symphonieorchester and Stavanger Symphony. He also conducts three projects with Belgian National Orchestra, including their season opening and closing concerts.
Highlights of the last three seasons have included returns to Finnish Radio Symphony, Warsaw Philharmonic, Tapiola Sinfonetta and Tonkünstler-Orchester at Vienna’s Musikverein, alongside debuts with Rotterdam Philharmonic and Lahti Symphony. Matthew also works extensively in North America, conducting the Cleveland Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Los Anglese Chamber Orchestra and Toronto Symphony on numerous occasions.
Matthew has a background in period-performance and was one of the first to guest-conduct Nikolaus Harnoncourt's Concentus Musicus Wien. He is in particular demand for his interpretations of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven, while his broad repertoire also includes Bach and Handel’s choral works, Sibelius' symphonies and twentieth century British music.
“I am thrilled and honoured to be joining the orchestra again throughout the 26/27 season as Artistic Partner. We met for the first time in November 2024 and the first notes of music we explored together were those of Beethoven’s uplifting Second Symphony. I was inspired on that occasion by the sheer generosity of the musicians, the openness to new ideas, and the almost effortless way in which the internal energy of Beethoven’s music began to fill the rehearsal room. Later that same season we explored the beautiful world of Arvo Pärt’s music together and, once again, I was profoundly moved by the shared collaborative experience. It is, therefore, with a sense of great excitement and anticipation that I look forward to all the wonderful music we will be performing together over the coming season at Bozar!”
