British conductor MATTHEW HALLS is quickly becoming known for his dynamic work with major symphony orchestras and opera companies, and for his probing and vibrant interpretations of music of all periods.

Increasingly in demand by North American Symphony orchestras, Halls has performed with the Cleveland Orchestra, Calgary Philharmonic, Houston Symphony, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, National Arts Centre Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, and the Utah Symphony in repertoire from Bach and Handel to Beethoven, Kernis, Mendelssohn, Messiaen, Mozart, Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky and Tippett. His debut with the Toronto Symphony, in which he led Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony “captured much of the energy and excitement that its first audience must have felt at its premiere nearly 200 years ago” (Toronto Star). Halls’ 2015.16 North American appearances include the Nashville Symphony for the complete Brandenburg Concertos, Los Angeles and St. Paul Chamber Orchestras, Oregon Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, and Les Violons du Roy in Quebec. European orchestras are equally eager to welcome Halls to their podiums. In spring 2014 he made a triumphant debut with Concentus Musicus Wien, substituting on short notice for Nikolaus Harnoncourt in an acclaimed performance of Haydn’s Seasons. He has also appeared with the BBC Scottish Symphony, Bergen Philharmonic, and Frankfurt Radio Symphony, and makes regular appearances in Austria and on tour with the Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra.

The 2023/24 season sees Matthew's first season as Chief Conductor of Finland’s Tampere Philharmonic, with programmes ranging from Bach’s St John Passion through to Mahler’s Symphony No. 2. He also returns to the Finnish Radio Symphony, Gulbenkian Orchestra, Stavanger Symphony and Wiener Symphoniker, and debuts with Tapiola Sinfonietta. Further ahead, he debuts with Atlanta Symphony and Orchestre national de Belgique and returns to Dallas Symphony and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic.

Highlights in 2022/23 included debuts with the Minnesota Orchestra, Orchestre de chambre de Paris and Antwerp Symphony and returns to Mozarteumorchester Salzburg, Indianapolis Symphony, Residentie Orchestra and Houston Symphony. Matthew also has regular guest conducting relationships with The Cleveland Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, Iceland Symphony, Toronto Symphony and Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra among others.

With a background in period-performance, Matthew was one of the first to guest-conduct Nikolaus Harnoncourt’s Concentus Musicus Wien. His discography includes Bach’s Harpsichord Concertos directed from the keyboard, the premiere recording of Handel’s Parnasso in Festa and Bach’s Easter and Ascension oratorios.

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