Biography
Wayne Marshall was recently announced as Chief Conductor Designate of WDR Rundfunkorchester, Cologne, and will take up the position at the start of 14/15 season. Organist-in Residence at Bridgewater Hall since its opening in 1996, he became Principal Guest Conductor of Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi in 2007 and is a celebrated interpreter of Gershwin, Bernstein and other 20th century American composers.
The 13/14 season includes returns to Orchestre National d’Ile de France and Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, a special Bernstein ‘homage’ week with Konzerthausorchester Berlin and a Cole Porter project with WDR Cologne. He returns to Montreal Opera for Porgy and Bess and conducts the new production of Weill’s Mahagonny at Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin.
12/13 season highlights included his successful debut with St Louis Symphony and guest conducting at Brussels, Bergen, Budapest, Dresden and Monte Carlo Philharmonic orchestras. Opera included his critically-acclaimed debut at Montreal Opera with Heggie’s Dead Man Walking. Organ recitals included Bridgewater Hall, Wiener Konzerthaus (for their 100th anniversary series) and in the inaugural season of the new Stavanger Concert Hall.
Following the critically-acclaimed new production of Candide at Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin, he returned in Autumn 2011 for revival performances to Rome Opera the following year for the same title. Recent guest conducting engagements include Brabants Orkest, WDR Cologne, Cherubini Orchestra, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, Moscow Chamber Choir and Maggio Musicale as well as his regular commitments with Orchestra Verdi Porgy and Bess with Iceland Symphony, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic and Maggio Musicale; Orchestre National de Lille, Strasbourg, Dresden and Luxembourg Philharmonic orchestras and Leipzig Gewandhausorkester. He has also worked with Vienna Symphony and Radio, RAI Turin, Hallé, Santa Cecilia, BBC, London, Strasbourg, Dresden, Royal Stockholm and Monte Carlo Philharmonic orchestras. In recent seasons he has conducted opera in Washington, Dallas and at the Opera Comique with the New World Symphony Orchestra.
As organ recitalist, he draws on exceptionally varied repertoire and performs worldwide. Forthcoming recitals include at Bridgewater Hall and Konzerthaus Dortmund. As pianist/director and organist he has performed with many orchestras, including Los Angeles Philharmonic (World Première of MacMillan’s organ concerto A Scotch Bestiary), Swedish and Munich Radio Symphony orchestras, and Berlin Philharmonic under Rattle and Abbado. He regularly features as piano soloist with the London Symphony Orchestra and future engagements include a special project with the Berliner Philharmoniker with Sir Simon Rattle, Danish National Symphony Orchestra and Rotterdam Philharmonic. In 2004, he gave the inaugural organ recital in the Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles. Recent recitals include Florence Cathedral, Luxembourg Philharmonie, Notre-Dame de Paris, Royal Albert Hall, Stiftskircher Stuttgart and National Grand Theatre, Beijing.
He is a regular performer in the BBC Proms and will appear in the 2012 season as organist. Past appearances include three organ recitals; the UK première of A Scotch Bestiary; Last Night of the Proms in 1997 and the First Night in 2008; conducting Porgy and Bess to celebrate the Gershwin centenary and four Proms in the Park.
He collaborates regularly with Kim Criswell, the eminent singing actress, in both recital and orchestral projects. He also works with young musicians, including a number of youth and conservatoire orchestras – most recently an improvisation masterclass at Chethams School, Manchester and with El Sistema in Caracas.
He has recorded extensively for numerous major labels and received an ECHO (Deutscher Schallplattenpreis) award for his ‘Gershwin Songbook’ CD. In 2004 he received an Honorary Doctorate from Bournemouth University and became a Fellow of the Royal College of Music in 2010.