Chief Conductor of the Bergen Philharmonic since October 2015, Edward Gardner has led the orchestra on multiple international tours, including performances in Berlin, Munich and Amsterdam and at the BBC Proms and Edinburgh International Festival. Edward was recently appointed Principal Conductor Designate of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, with his tenure commencing in September 2021.

In demand as a guest conductor, the previous two seasons saw Edward debut with the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Wiener Symphoniker and the Royal Opera House in a new production of Káťa Kabanová; while returns included engagements with the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Philharmonia Orchestra, Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala di Milano and Royal Opera House (Werther).

The 2020/21 season sees Edward open the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s season, returning later for more concerts at the Royal Festival Hall and a tour of Germany and the UK. Highlights with the Bergen Philharmonic include Verdi’s Macbeth in concert, undertaking a European tour, and celebrating Beethoven’s 250th anniversary with a two-week festival. Guest conducting highlights, and projects that will be rearranged due to COVID-19, include performances with the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Cleveland Orchestra, Chicago and Montreal Symphony Orchestras, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra.

Music Director of English National Opera for ten years (2006-15), Edward has an ongoing relationship with New York’s Metropolitan Opera where he has conducted productions of La damnation de Faust, Carmen, Don Giovanni, Der Rosenkavalier and Werther. Elsewhere, he has conducted at La Scala, Chicago Lyric Opera, Glyndebourne Festival Opera and Opéra National de Paris.