LONGBOROUGH FESTIVAL OPERA
APPOINTS NEW MUSIC DIRECTOR
Christopher Ward © Marine Stassen
Longborough Festival Opera has appointed conductor CHRISTOPHER WARD as its new Music Director from the 2027 season.
London-born Ward joins Longborough Festival Opera (LFO) from Theater Aachen and Sinfonieorchester Aachen, where he has served as General Music Director since 2018. He brings more than two decades of experience working at leading German opera houses, alongside a broad international guest conducting career that includes appearances at Staatsoper Hamburg, Komische Oper Berlin, Deutsche Oper am Rhein, Staatsoper Prague and Welsh National Opera.
Ward’s appointment follows an extensive international recruitment process and comes at a significant moment for LFO as it approaches the 30th anniversary of its purpose-built theatre and looks ahead to an ambitious and exciting future.
Ward succeeds Anthony Negus, who has been Music Director of Longborough Festival Opera for more than two decades and was part of the recruitment panel. Negus will become Conductor Laureate in 2027, conducting the company’s anniversary production of Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.
Emily Gottlieb, Executive Director of Longborough Festival Opera, said:
“We are thrilled to appoint Christopher Ward as our new Music Director. This is a pivotal moment for Longborough and Christopher brings the musical authority, leadership experience and artistic curiosity to help shape our future. He impressed us with his sensitive and collaborative personal style, his deep commitment to musical excellence, his passion for nurturing new talent, and he shares our bold and ambitious vision for Longborough.”
Artistic Director Polly Graham said:
“We are delighted to welcome Christopher into Longborough’s artistic family. His extensive leadership experience and broad knowledge of the repertoire – from baroque, contemporary and late Romantic work, including that of Richard Wagner – will enrich and embolden the work of our entire festival. His collaborative, imaginative and deeply intelligent approach to opera is exactly what this art form needs. Christopher is a worthy successor to Anthony Negus, whom we continue to treasure as Conductor Laureate.”
Christopher Ward said:
“Longborough Festival Opera, founded through the bold vision of Martin and Lizzie Graham, is a truly special place, with deep and loyal relationships with its audiences and a strong commitment to nurturing future generations through its education and community work. From my first meetings with the team, I was struck by their collective enthusiasm and collaborative spirit, and I am hugely excited to join them and to bring the experience I have gained over two decades working within the German opera house system to the next chapter of the festival.”
The 2026 Festival opens on 30 May with a new production of Handel’s Orlando, and continues until 8 August with Verdi’s Macbeth, Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel and Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde.