English National Opera appoints new music director

English National Opera (ENO) has appointed ANDRÉ DE RIDDER as its new music director.

De Ridder will become music director designate in September and will assume the role in Autumn 2027.

He is currently the general music director of Theater Freiburg in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

He has also been a guest conductor at a number of European opera houses, including Finnish National Opera, Dutch National Opera, Theater Basel, Staatsoper Stuttgart, and Oper Köln. 

De Ridder has longstanding links to the UK and has appeared with the Hallé Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra and BBC Symphony Orchestra.

He also curates and performs ‘Unclassified Live’ at London’s Southbank Centre, featuring the  BBC  Concert Orchestra. 

He has previously conducted for ENO at the premieres of Gerald Barry’s ‘The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant’ in 2005, and Michel van der Aa’s ‘Sunken Garden’ in 2013.

In 2007, he led the world premiere of Damon Albarn’s and Chen Shi-Zheng’s animation opera, ‘Monkey: Journey to the West’, at the Manchester International Festival

De Ridder said it was “an honour” to be chosen as ENO’s new music director. 

He added: “I’ve been privileged to have experienced working with ENO early in my career, which has informed and inspired my own approach to repertoire, new work, and always exploring perspectives on bringing great opera to wide audiences.



“I am immensely excited to join them at this time of change and development and to have the chance to work again in the Greater Manchester region too.”