Recognised as one of the most talented conductors of his generation, Edward began his tenure as Music Director of English National Opera in May 2007 with a new critically acclaimed production of Britten’s Death in Venice. Under his direction, the ENO has presented a series of stellar productions, including Boris Godunov, Cavalleria Rusticana & Pagliacci, Der Rosenkavalier, Punch and Judy, Peter Grimes and a double bill of The Rite of Spring and Bluebeard’s Castle. In recognition of his talent and commitment, Edward received the Royal Philharmonic Society Award in 2008 for Best Conductor and in 2009, the Olivier award for Outstanding Achievement in Opera.
Equally successful outside ENO, Edward’s future operatic engagements include debuts with Lyric Opera of Chicago, The Metropolitan Opera New York and La Scala, Milan. A regular at Paris Opera since 2004/5, Edward’s most recent production there was Stravinsky’sRake's Progress in 2007/8. In 2008 Edward returned to Glyndebourne Festival Opera with a production of Britten’s Turn of the Screw.
In September 2010, Edward was appointed Principal Guest Conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. The appointment is for an initial period of three years during which he will conduct the CBSO for four weeks a season. Since making his successful debut in 2005 with the BBC Symphony Orchestra at the Aldeburgh Festival, Edward has been re-invited each year to the orchestra and in 2008 conducted the UK premiere of Saariaho’s Adriana Mater in concert at the Barbican as well as making his Proms debut. Internationally, he works with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, the Bamberg Symphony, Gothenburg Symphony, Bergen Philharmonic, Melbourne Symphony, Houston Symphony, Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra and National Arts Centre Orchestra Ottawa amongst others. In 2009/10 he made his debut with the NHK Symphony Orchestra, Mahler Chamber Orchestra and Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and returned to the BBC Proms. Future symphonic engagements include the Philharmonia, London Philharmonic, Rotterdam Philharmonic and Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra.
An exclusive recording artist for Chandos, Edward released three discs in 2010, including Lutoslawski orchestral works, and vocal repertoire with Gerald Finley and Susan Gritton. He has also made a number of recordings for EMI Records; Alison Balsom/Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra; Kate Royal/the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields and Kate Royal/English National Opera Orchestra.
Born in Gloucester in 1974, Edward was educated at Cambridge and the Royal Academy of Music where he studied under the instruction of Colin Metters. He graduated in 2000 and went on to assist Mark Elder at The Hallé Orchestra for 3 years before being named as Musical Director of Glyndebourne Touring Opera in 2004, a position he held for 3 years.