is one of the most distinguished conductors in the field of Baroque and Classical repertoire; his versatility, however, is borderless. He recorded a critically acclaimed series of Bruckner-Symphonies with the Mozarteumorchester Salzburg, whose chief conductor he was for 12 years. In Madrid he holds the position of Music Director since 2015. He conducted Benjamin Britten’s »Billy Budd«, which received the »best production«-prize by »Opernwelt«, at Teatro Real, as well as at Royal Opera House Covent Garden. With the Sinfonieorchester Basel, whose Chief Conductor Bolton has been since 2016, he recorded a series of works by Gabriel Fauré.
In addition to his leading positions Ivor Bolton is Conductor Laureate of the Mozarteumorchester Salzburg, with whom he appears annually at the Salzburg Festival and on tour, and Chief Conductor of the Dresdner Festspielorchester. He enjoys a close relationship with the Bayerische Staatsoper where he has conducted a wide range of new productions, most notably Monteverdi, Haendel and Mozart since 1994. He was awarded the prestigious »Bayerische Theaterpreis« for his outstanding work in Munich.
Since his time as Music Director of English Touring Opera and Glyndebourne Touring Opera, Ivor Bolton has appeared at numerous prestigious opera houses, including Opéra national de Paris and teh Royal Opera House Covent Garden. In concert he has been principal conductor of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and a welcome guest at the BBC Proms and Lincoln Center New York, among others, as well as with the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, Concertgebouworkest Amsterdam, Orchestre de Paris, Rotterdams Philharmonisch Orkest, Gürzenich Orchester Köln, Wiener Symphoniker and the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra.
Highlights of the past seasons have included »Le nozze di Figaro« and »Achille in Sciro« at the Teatro Real in Madrid, »Der wunderbare Mandarin / Herzog Blaubart’s Burg« in Basel as well as concerts with the Slovac Philharmonic Orchestra, touring to Paris with Dresden Festspielorchester, the opening of the International Baroque Days in Melk and returning to Mozartwoche and Salzburg Festival as well as the Vienna Musikverein.
Projects for the 2023-24 season include »Medée« and »Orlando« at Teatro Real in Madrid, »Entführung aus dem Serail« and »Cenerentola« at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich in addition to his activities in Basel and Dresden. Further performances include concerts with Gürzenich Orchester Köln (also touring to Concertgebouw Amsterdam), Bruckner Orchester Linz, Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, concerts at Teatro La Fenice and his return to the Mozartwoche and Salzburg Festival.