The X Factor? – The young conductors to watch out for in 2010(list of 10 UK conductors)

The X Factor? – The young conductors to watch out for in 2010

15-Dec-2009

Are these the top 10 young conductors to look out for in 2010 and beyond? Have they got the X Factor to make it to the top?

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A recent article in ‘The Observer’ newspaper suggested that the time had arrived for a new generation of conductors to make their mark with the leading orchestras in the UK.

It pinpointed talents such as the 26-year-old Robin Ticciati, the new principal conductor of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, who has been nurtured for high profile greatness ever since Sir Colin Davis spotted him as a precocious 15-year-old. He now regularly conducts major orchestras all over the world.

He is not alone.

Rave reviews

Latvian Andris Nelsons has yet to reach 30 and is the principal conductor and music director at the City of Birmingham Orchestra, whilst 33-year-olds, Ilan Volkov and Vasily Petrenko have earned rave reviews with the BBC Scottish and Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra’s respectively.

35-year-old Edward Gardner has breathed new life into the English National Opera, whilst Vladimir Jurowski was just 29 when he took over at Glyndebourne.

Some haven’t quite made it – such as 26-year-old Tugan Sokhiev who departed Welsh National Opera amid calls that he lacked experience, but it seems that youth is being given its head in the orchestral world.

Banding world?

Can that occur in the banding world we ask ourselves?

Who are the talents that will be keeping the middle aged maestros on their toes in the next few years?

There may be a bit of life left in our top conductors yet, but age does weary them as they grow old, although as Sir Roger Norrington, the principal conductor of the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra recently said: “There could be the risk of young, one trick wonders being promoted above their abilities, but what is actually happening is that the quality of the work produced by these bright new things is incredibly high.”

So what about these ten to look out for in the coming 12 months or more…

complete list of 10