Martyn Brabbins was recently announced Principal Guest Conductor of the Royal Flemish Philharmonic, starting in September 2009.
Recognised as one of Britain's leading and most versatile conducting talents, Brabbins brings his flawless musicianship, artistic integrity and programming skills to his new position in Antwerp, where for several weeks a season he will focus on breaking out of traditional concert formulae, both within the regular season and in his musical direction of a new festival. Together they will also record a series of Belgian Romantic works for Hyperion Records.
Artistic Director of the Cheltenham International Festival of Music 2005-2007, he was Associate Principal Conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra 1994-2005. After studying composition in London and then conducting with Ilya Musin in Leningrad, his career was launched when he won first prize at the 1988 Leeds Conductors' Competition. Since then Brabbins has regularly conducted all the major UK orchestras and is much sought-after in Europe, notably in Germany, Holland, Belgium and Scandinavia.
Last season Brabbins conducted Elgar with the Philharmonia, took the BBC Symphony to the Bonn Beethovenfest and conducted them at the BBC Proms and in their Barbican composer portrait festival; he conducted the City of Birmingham Symphony in a world premiere by Simon Holt, appeared in concert also with the Hallé and BBC National Orchestra of Wales, and recorded with the BBC Symphony, BBC Scottish and BBC Philharmonic. He conducted the RSO Wien in the Konzerthaus and appeared with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, Dresden Philharmonic, and further afield with the Sydney Symphony, Melbourne Symphony, West Australian Symphony and Malaysian Philharmonic.
In Spring 2008 he conducted Tosca in Frankfurt, his third visit after a Dallapiccola double-bill and Bloch’s Macbeth (both Keith Warner productions). He returns in 2011 for a new production of Pizetti’s Murder in the Cathedral. He makes his debut with the Opera de Lyon in Spring 2009 with a new production of Death in Venice and returns to Hamburg in 2010 for the same opera. He has a close relationship with Pierre Audi at the Netherlands Opera, where in Summer 2007 he conducted Jonathan Harvey’s new opera Wagner Dream and where he will return for another new production in 2010/11. Since his early days conducting Mozart at the Kirov, Brabbins has also conducted for the Deutsche Oper Berlin, English National Opera and Opera North, and at the Aldeburgh and Holland festivals, and this Summer conducted the Camerata Salzburg in The Marriage of Figaro.
Known for his Elgar, Britten, and Walton, Brabbins also has a strong affinity for the great 19th century Romantics, and for the Russian and French repertoire. Brabbins is also one of Europe’s leading interpreters of contemporary music. Conductor of choice for the London Sinfonietta, Ensemble Modern and the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, from 1999-2004 he was the Philharmonia Orchestra's Music of Today Series Conductor.
Brabbins is much in demand as a recording artist. He has recorded over 30 discs with the BBC Scottish Symphony on Hyperion, with core repertoire planned for future recordings; and has an ongoing relationship also with Chandos Records. He has recorded Birtwistle, David Bedford and Finnissy for NMC; Rachmaninov and Scriabin for Collins Classics and made a notable live recording of Britten's War Requiem for Naxos. His recording of Korngold's Die Kathrin with the BBC Concert Orchestra for CPO won the Opera Award at Cannes.
Martyn Brabbins is represented by Intermusica.
September 2008 / 555 words. Not to be altered without permission.