Andrew Manze © Benjamin Ealovega

Andrew Manze

Andrew Manze is widely acclaimed as one of the most stimulating and inspiring conductors of his generation. His extensive and scholarly knowledge of the repertoire, together with his boundless energy and warmth, set him apart. He was Principal Conductor of the NDR Radiophilharmonie Hannover and his contract was extended until summer 2023. Since 2018 he has been Principal Guest Conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.

After very successful tours to China in 2016 and 2019, in the 22/23 season the NDR Radiophilharmonie will return to Japan for an extended tour. Manze and the orchestra have a number of award-winning recordings for Pentatone, focusing on works by Mendelssohn and Mozart. The first recording in the Mendelssohn series won the German Record Critics' Award. Manze has recorded a cycle of Vaughan Williams' complete symphonies with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra for Onyx Classics, to critical acclaim.

In demand as a guest conductor worldwide, Manze has long-standing relationships with leading orchestras including the Munich Philharmonic, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Camerata Salzburg, Royal Concertgebouworkest and Scottish Chamber Orchestra. He is also a regular guest at the Mostly Mozart Festival in New York City.

In the 22/23 season, Manze makes his operatic debut at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, conducting performances of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas, as well as Schoenberg's Expectation, in collaboration with artistic director Serge Dorny. Other highlights of the 22/23 season include engagements with the Vienna Symphony, Dresden Philharmonic, Atlanta Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, and conducting with the WDR Symphony Orchestra as part of the Ruhr Piano Festival.

From 2006 to 2014, Manze was principal conductor and artistic director of the Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra. During this time he made a series of recordings Beethoven Eroica (Harmonia Mundi) and a cycle of Brahms symphonies (CPO). He was also Principal Guest Conductor of the Norwegian Radio Symphony Orchestra from 2008 to 2011 and was Associate Guest Conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra for four seasons.

After studying Classics at Cambridge University, Manze studied violin and quickly became a leading specialist in the world of historical performance practice.

In 1996 he became Associate Director of the Academy of Ancient Music and subsequently Artistic Director of the English Concert from 2003 to 2007. As a violinist, Manze has released an astonishing array of recordings, many of which are award-winning.

Manze is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music, Visiting Professor at the Oslo Academy and has contributed to new editions of Bach and Mozart sonatas and concertos published by Bärenreiter, Breitkopf and Härtel. He also teaches, writes, and edits music, and performs regularly on radio and television. In November 2011, Andrew Manze received the prestigious "Rolf Schock Prize" in Stockholm.