Jonathan Philip Darlington (born 1956 in

Lapworth Lapworth is a village and civil parish in Warwickshire, England, which had a population of 2,100 according to the United Kingdom Census 2001, 2001 census; this had fallen to 1,828 at the United Kingdom 2011 Census, 2011 Census. It lies south ...

, England) is a British conductor, Music Director Emeritus of the

Vancouver Opera Vancouver Opera is the second largest performing arts organization in British Columbia and the largest opera company in western Canada. Its mainstage performances occur in the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, other venues in Vancouver and occasionally el ...

and the former Music Director of the

Duisburg Philharmonic The Duisburg Philharmonic Orchestra (in German: Duisburger Philharmoniker) is a German orchestra based in Duisburg. The orchestra is resident at the ''Philharmonie Mercatorhalle Duisberg''. The ''Duisburger Philharmoniker'' is the accompanying o ...

Orchestra. He is known for his broad repertoire of both opera and symphonic music and appears regularly with major orchestras and opera houses, most notably the Paris Opera, Vienna State Opera, Frankfurt Oper,

Orchestre National de France The Orchestre National de France (; ; abbr. ONF) is a French symphony orchestra based in Paris, founded in 1934. Placed under the administration of the French national radio (named Radio France since 1975), the ONF performs mainly in the Grand ...

, Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra Sinfonica del San Carlo di Napoli, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, the National Orchestra of Taiwan, the BBC Symphony Orchestra,

English National Opera English National Opera (ENO) is a British opera company based in London, resident at the London Coliseum in St Martin's Lane. It is one of the two principal opera companies in London, along with The Royal Opera. ENO's productions are sung in E ...

and

Opera Australia Opera Australia is the principal opera company in Australia. Based in Sydney, New South Wales, its performance season at the Sydney Opera House accompanied by the Opera Australia Orchestra runs for approximately eight months of the year, with t ...

Education and early career

Jonathan Darlington was educated at

The King's School, Worcester The King's School, Worcester is a private co-educational day school refounded by Henry VIII in 1541. It occupies a site adjacent to Worcester Cathedral on the banks of the River Severn in the centre of the city of Worcester. It offers mixed-se ...

. He graduated in 1978 with a music degree from

Durham University Durham University (legally the University of Durham) is a collegiate university, collegiate public university, public research university in Durham, England, founded by an Act of Parliament (UK), Act of Parliament in 1832 and incorporated by r ...

, where he was a member of

Hatfield College Hatfield College is one of the constituent colleges of Durham University in England. It occupies a city centre site above the River Wear on the World Heritage Site peninsula, lying adjacent to North Bailey and only a short distance from Durha ...

. He subsequently studied at the

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is one of the oldest music schools in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the firs ...

. Early in his career he had worked with

Pierre Boulez Pierre Louis Joseph Boulez (; 26 March 19255 January 2016) was a French composer, conductor and writer, and the founder of several musical institutions. He was one of the dominant figures of post-war contemporary classical music. Born in Montb ...

Riccardo Muti Riccardo Muti (; born 28 July 1941) is an Italian conductor. He is current music director of the Orchestra Giovanile Luigi Cherubini. Muti has previously held posts at the Maggio Musicale in Florence, the Philharmonia Orchestra in London, the ...

and

Olivier Messiaen Olivier Eugène Prosper Charles Messiaen (, ; ; 10 December 1908 – 27 April 1992) was a French composer, organist, and ornithology, ornithologist. One of the major composers of the 20th-century classical music, 20th century, he was also an ou ...

. He made his conducting debut in 1984 at the Théâtre des Champs Elysées in Paris with

Francesco Cavalli Francesco Cavalli (born Pietro Francesco Caletti-Bruni; 14 February 1602 – 14 January 1676) was a Venetian composer, organist and singer of the early Baroque period. He succeeded his teacher Claudio Monteverdi as the dominant and leading op ...

's ''

Ormindo ''L'Ormindo'' is an opera in a prologue and three acts by Francesco Cavalli to an original Italian libretto by Giovanni Faustini. The manuscript score is held at the Biblioteca Marciana in Venice,The score is offered digitally aInternet Culturale ...

''. In 1991 he was appointed deputy to the Music Director

Myung-Whun Chung Myung-whun Chung (; born 22 January 1953) is a South Korean conductor and pianist. Career Performer Chung studied piano with Maria Curcio and won joint second-prize in the 1974 International Tchaikovsky Competition. He performed in the Chun ...

at the Opéra de la Bastille in Paris, where he made his house debut with ''

Le nozze di Figaro ''The Marriage of Figaro'' (, ), K. 492, is a ''commedia per musica'' (opera buffa) in four acts composed in 1786 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with an Italian libretto written by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It premiered at the Burgtheater in Vienna ...

''. He is the brother of conductor CBE

Stephen Darlington Stephen Mark Darlington (born 21 September 1952) is a British choral director, organist and conductor who served as Director of Music at Christ Church, Oxford, from 1985 to 2018. After retiring from Christ Church, he served as interim director ...

Career

From 2002 to 2011, Darlington was

Generalmusikdirektor A music director, musical director or director of music is a person responsible for the musical aspects of a performance, production, or organization. This would include the artistic director and usually chief conductor of an orchestra or concert ...

of the

. Until 2018, he was musical director at the

in Canada. In 2022, Darlington was presented as new Generalmusikdirektor of the

Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra The Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra (German: Nürnberger Symphoniker) is a German orchestra based in Nuremberg. Its principal concert venue is the Meistersingerhalle. The orchestra's current ''Intendant'' (managing and artistic director) is Lucius ...

and received a contract for five years.

Recent performances

Recent performances include Verdi's ''

Otello ''Otello'' () is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Arrigo Boito, based on William Shakespeare, Shakespeare's play ''Othello''. It was Verdi's penultimate opera, first performed at the La Scala, Teatro alla Scala, M ...

'' (January 2020), Puccini's ''

Madama Butterfly ''Madama Butterfly'' (; ''Madame Butterfly'') is an opera in three acts (originally two) by Giacomo Puccini, with an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It is based on the short story " Madame Butterfly" (1898) by John Lu ...

'' (October 2019), Rossini's ''

L'Elisir d'Amore ''L'elisir d'amore'' (; ''The Elixir of Love'') is a (comic melodrama, opera buffa) in two acts by the Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti. Felice Romani wrote the Italian libretto, after Eugène Scribe's libretto for Daniel Auber's (1831). ...

'' and Verdi's ''

Don Carlos ''Don Carlos'' is an 1867 five-act grand opera composed by Giuseppe Verdi to a French-language libretto by Joseph Méry and Camille du Locle, based on the 1787 play '' Don Karlos, Infant von Spanien'' (''Don Carlos, Infante of Spain'') by Fried ...

'' (September 2019) at the Vienna State Opera, Gounod's ''

Faust Faust ( , ) is the protagonist of a classic German folklore, German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust (). The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a deal with the Devil at a ...

'' at Vancouver Opera (May 2019), Puccini's ''

La Bohème ''La bohème'' ( , ) is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions '':wikt:quadro, quadri'', ''wikt:tableau, tableaux'' or "images", rather than ''atti'' (acts). composed by Giacomo Puccini between 1893 and 1895 to an Italian libretto b ...

'' at the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm (February 2019) and Beethoven's ''

Fidelio ''Fidelio'' (; ), originally titled ' (''Leonore, or The Triumph of Marital Love''), Opus number, Op. 72, is the sole opera by German composer Ludwig van Beethoven. The libretto was originally prepared by Joseph Sonnleithner from the French of ...

''. at the Semperoper Dresden (October 2018). In 2008 he led the world premiere of Manfred Trojahn's ''La Grande Magia'' with the

Staatskapelle Dresden The Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden (), or Saxon State Orchestra Dresden, is one of the oldest orchestras in the world, created by order of Maurice, Elector of Saxony in 1548. Under communist East Germany and until 1992 it was called Staatskap ...

(May 2008). Thanks to his background as a harpsichordist, he also has considerable experiences conducting historically informed performances of Mozart, Rossini, Cavalli's ''L'Ormindo''), Tritto (''Il Convitato di Pietra o Don Giovanni'') and

Gustave Charpentier Gustave Charpentier (; 25 June 1860 – 18 February 1956) was a French composer, best known for his opera ''Louise (opera), Louise''.Langham Smith R., "Gustave Charpentier", ''The New Grove Dictionary of Opera.'' Macmillan, London and New York, 19 ...

's '' Louise'' with the

Deutsche Oper am Rhein The Deutsche Oper am Rhein (German Opera on the Rhine) is an opera company based in Düsseldorf and Duisburg. The opera also has an associated classical ballet company. Axel Kober has been its music director since 2009. The resident orchestra, t ...

and the Duisburg Philharmonic (October 2008), He appeared as a guest conductor with the Orchestre de Paris, the Strasbourg Philharmonic, the

Philharmonisches Orchester Freiburg Philharmonisches Orchester Freiburg (Freiburg Philharmonic) is the symphony orchestra of Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany, founded in 1887. It plays concerts in the Konzerthaus Freiburg and opera in the Theater Freiburg. History The Freiburg Ph ...

, the Nürnberger Symphoniker, the Duisburg Philharmonic and the Berlin Konzerthaus Orchestra. As well as the Orchestra of the 18th Century. In the near future, Jonathan Darlington will conduct Offenbach's ''Grande Duchesse Gerolstein'' at the Dresden Semperoper, Henze's ''Prinz von Homburg'' at the Frankfurt Oper and Die Fledermaus at the Staatsoper Hamburg.

Awards

Darlington was appointed a

Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres The Order of Arts and Letters () is an order of France established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture. Its supplementary status to the was confirmed by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. Its purpose is the recognition of significant ...

as well as Fellow (FRAM) of the

, London. * 2010

Echo Klassik The Echo Klassik, often stylized as ECHO Klassik, was Germany's major classical music award in 22 categories. The award, presented by the , was held annually, usually in October or September, separate from its parent award, the Echo Music Prize ...

Recordings

Discography

With the Orchestre National de France: *Guillaume Connesson: Athanor, Supernova. Orchestre National de France; Radio France Chorus; Virginie Pesch, soprano; Nigel Smith, baritone; Jonathan Darlington, Muhai Tang, conductors. Radio France/ Naïve, 2004 (2007). With the Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra: *Poulenc: Les Animaux Modèles, Sinfonietta. Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra; Jonathan Darlington, conductor. Timpani, 1998 (2008). With the Duisburg Philharmonic Orchestra: *Arnold Schoenberg/ Gabriel Fauré: Pélleas et Mélisande. Duisburg Philharmonic Orchestra; Jonathan Darlington, conductor. Acousence, 2009. *Antonín Dvořák: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra G minor. Duisburg Philharmonic Orchestra; Boris Bloch, Piano; Jonathan Darlington, conductor. Acousence, 2009. *Gustav Mahler: Symphonie Nr. 6. Duisburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Jonathan Darlington, conductor. Acousence, 2008. *Jazz at the Philharmonic. Duisburg Philharmonic Orchestra; Jonathan Darlington conductor; Andy Miles, clarinet. Telos, 2008. *André Jolivet: Concert for Piano and Orchestra; Maurice Ravel / Marius Constant: Gaspard de la Nuit; Claude Debussy / Bernardo Molinari: L’isle joyeuse. Duisburg Philharmonic Orchestra;

Pascal Gallet Pascal Gallet is a French classical pianist. Biography His first television appearance at the age of 10 encouraged Gallet in the pianistic path. He entered the Conservatoire de Paris at a very young age and followed Pierre Sancan's, then Yvonn ...

, piano; Jonathan Darlington, conductor. Acousence, 2008. *Dmitry Shostakovitch: Symphony A major op.141; Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Haffner-Sinfonie Nr. 35 D major KV 385. Duisburg Philharmonic Orchestra; Jonathan Darlington conductor. Acousence, 2007. *Wagner-Gala der RuhrTriennale 2004. Duisburg Philharmonic Orchestra; Petra-Maria Schnitzer, soprano;

Peter Seiffert Peter Seiffert (4 January 1954 – 14 April 2025) was a German tenor. He was based at the Deutsche Oper Berlin from 1980. Götz Friedrich in Berlin and Wolfgang Sawallisch at the Bavarian State Opera supported the development of his voice from l ...

, tenor; Jonathan Darlington, conductor. WDR/ Oehms Classics, 2004. *Hector Berlioz: Ouverture ''Benvenuto Cellini''; Mauricio Kagel: Broken Chords; Béla Bartók: Concert for Orchestra. Confido, 2003.

Videography

*Piotr Ilyitch Tchaikovski: Le Lac des Cygnes. Marie-Claude Pietragalla,

Patrick Dupond Patrick Dupond (14 March 1959 – 5 March 2021) was a French ballet dancer and artistic director. He made a name for himself in 1976 when he won the gold medal at the Varna International Ballet Competition in Bulgaria. A virtuoso dancer, he was n ...

, Ballet de l’ Opèra National de Paris, Orchestre National de Paris, Jonathan Darlington. NVC Arts, 1992.(Released on DVD in 2005, Bel Air Classiques)

Sources

IMG Artists IMG Artists is a performing arts management company. The company manages the careers of classical and contemporary artists, dance companies, film with orchestra presentations and shows and attractions as well as produce and manage tours and events ...

Biography of Jonathan Darlington
*

Biography of Jonathan Darlington

External links

Jonathan Darlington
on

BBC Music BBC Music is the arm of the BBC responsible for the music played across its services. The current director of music is Lorna Clarke. Officially it is a part of the BBC's Radio operational division; however, its remit also includes music used i ...

Jonathan Darlington
official website {{DEFAULTSORT:Darlington, Jonathan English conductors (music) British male conductors (music) Musicians from Warwickshire People educated at King's School, Worcester Alumni of the Royal Academy of Music Alumni of Hatfield College, Durham 1956 births Living people 21st-century British conductors (music) 21st-century British male musicians