Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Principal Guest Conductor Emeritus, Philharmonia Orchestra. He is a white man with grey hair wearing glasses. He wears a black and white suit, and stands in front of a black background.

Photo: Sim Canetty-Clarke

Changing Faces

Gardiner ‘honoured’ to be coming home to Philharmonia Orchestra

Arts Professional
2 min read

Sir JOHN ELIOT GARDINER has been appointed Principal Guest Conductor Emeritus of the Philharmonia Orchestra in the week of his 80th birthday.

An internationally acclaimed figure in the music world, Gardiner founded and was Artistic Director of Monteverdi Choir & Orchestra, English Baroque Soloists and Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique.

He regularly guest conducts many of the world's leading orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic and has toured and recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra.

He is also an Honorary Fellow of King's College, Cambridge and the British Academy, and an Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Music. 

During his tenure at the Philharmonia Orchestra, Gardiner will tour internationally, develop programme ideas and introduce a new repertoire. 

“Re-establishing contact with this magnificent Orchestra feels like a wonderful homecoming,” Gardiner said. 

“I am excited by this opportunity to renew and deepen my fruitful association with this flexible and open-minded body of musicians, and the chance it gives to cement the links with them by developing fresh ways to explore both familiar and unchartered areas of the symphonic repertoire.” 

“Not only is Gardiner one of the most eminent and celebrated conductors of his time, he is also a passionate and vocal advocate for the arts,”  President and Second Horn KIRA DOHERTY commented. 

Chief Executive THORBEN DITTES added: “With this new relationship the orchestra will be in the unique position to draw on Sir John Eliot's distinguished musical insight and unrivalled curiosity to shape new distinctive programming strands which will build on our history of excellence and innovation”.