British conductor Alexander Soddy ranks among the most sought-after conductors of his generation and is regularly engaged by the world’s leading orchestras and opera houses.

In the 2025/26 season, Soddy will return to several of Europe’s foremost stages to lead major new productions. He continues his close collaboration with Teatro alla Scala, conducting Così fan tutte and concluding the house’s acclaimed new Ring cycle with Siegfried, Götterdämmerung and the full cycle. He returns to the Vienna State Opera for performances of Elektra, Der Rosenkavalier and Raskatov’s Animal Farm, and makes further return appearances at both the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and the Staatsoper Unter den Linden with Samson et Dalila and at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino with Macbeth.

In concert this season, Soddy makes his debut with the NHK Symphony Orchestra at the Tokyo Spring Festival, conducting Der fliegende Holländer in concert. He also returns to the Vienna Symphony Orchestra for performances at the Musikverein and an international tour, and makes debuts with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and returns to the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome. In summer 2025, he made his debut at the Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival, conducting the Saito Kinen Orchestra.

Recent seasons have included important milestones, such as conducting the world premiere of Kirill Serebrennikov’s production of Lohengrin at the Opéra national de Paris, conducting Das Rheingold and Die Walküre to begin the Teatro alla Scala's new Ring Cycle, his debut conducting at the Concertgebouw with the Netherlands Philharmonic in Mahler’s Fifth Symphony, and a return to the Philharmonia Orchestra to conduct Capriccio at the Edinburgh International Festival.

Soddy is a regular guest at the leading German-speaking opera houses. At the Vienna State Opera, his repertoire has included the Vienna premiere of Raskatov’s Animal Farm as well as Otello, Elektra, Hänsel und Gretel, Carmen, Die Zauberflöte, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, Salome, Il barbiere di Siviglia and Parsifal. At the Staatsoper Unter den Linden (Berlin State Opera), he has conducted Lohengrin, Der Rosenkavalier, Fidelio, Der Freischütz, La bohème and Die Zauberflöte.

Elsewhere, Soddy’s notable opera appearances include Così fan tutte, Tannhäuser and Salome at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; Aida, La bohème and Madama Butterfly at the Metropolitan Opera; Elektra at the Deutsche Oper Berlin; Die Zauberflöte and La bohème at the Bayerische Staatsoper; La Traviata at Tokyo Nikikai Opera Theatre; Der Freischütz at Semperoper Dresden; productions of La bohème and Madama Butterfly at the Royal Swedish Opera and a pairing of works by Arnold Schönberg and Frank Martin at the Oper Frankfurt.

Equally in demand as a symphonic conductor, Soddy has led recent concerts with the Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Berner Symphonieorchester, Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, Copenhagen Philharmonic, Munich Radio Orchestra, Royal Swedish Orchestra, Norwegian National Opera Orchestra, Orquestra de València, Oregon Symphony, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.

From 2016 to 2022, Soddy served as General Music Director of the Nationaltheater Mannheim, where he focused on the core German and Italian operatic repertoire. He was also Artistic Director of the house’s Akademiekonzerte series, where his programming centred on the symphonic works of Bruckner and other Romantic composers. Previous positions include Chief Conductor at the Stadttheater Klagenfurt (2013–2016) and Kapellmeister at the Hamburg State Opera (2010–2012).

Born in Oxford, Soddy studied at the Royal Academy of Music, the University of Cambridge, and the National Opera Studio in London.

María Dueñas has emerged as a luminous talent in classical music, captivating audiences with her extraordinary range of tonal colours, impeccable technical prowess, and interpretations that blend artistic maturity with bold expressiveness. The New York Times praised her ability to breathe ‘new life into well-known pieces’ and described her as a ‘22-year-old violinist who has something to say, and the skill to say it brilliantly’.

Her meteoric rise led to an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon, a significant milestone in her burgeoning career. María Dueñas' debut album, Beethoven and Beyond, released in 2023, showcased her remarkable interpretation of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, featuring cadenzas composed by herself. This recording, made with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra under Manfred Honeck, earned her the prestigious Opus Klassik award as Young Artist of the Year in 2024, adding to an extraordinary array of grand and first prizes at international competitions, including the Senior Division of the Menuhin Competition, the Viktor Tretyakov and the Vladimir Spivakov International Violin Competitions or the Zhuhai International Mozart Competition. Her unique interpretative approach has also been recognized by the Rheingau Music Festival, BBC Radio 3 and the Princess of Girona Arts and Letters Award.

February 2025 marked the release of her second Deutsche Grammophon album, an ambitious project centred on Paganini's legendary 24 Caprices and works inspired by Paganini from composers spanning from Berlioz to contemporary artists.

Establishing herself as a globally recognized soloist, she has already collaborated with the world’s leading orchestras such as the Philadelphia Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Staatskapelle Berlin, Oslo Philharmonic, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Munich Philharmonic, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, Bamberger Symphoniker, Wiener Symphoniker, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Accademia di Santa Cecilia, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Dresdner Philharmonie and the Orchestre de Paris, alongside a constellation of esteemed conductors including Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Herbert Blomstedt, Christian Thielemann, Marin Alsop, Christoph Eschenbach, Manfred Honeck, Kent Nagano, Marek Janowski, Daniel Harding, Alain Altinoglu, Alan Gilbert, Cristian Măcelaru, Paavo Järvi, Vasily Petrenko, Andrés Orozco-Estrada, Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Vladimir Spivakov, Gustavo Gimeno and Jukka-Pekka Saraste, among others.

Her strong artistic partnership with Los Angeles Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel has yielded several notable achievements, such as performances at the Hollywood Bowl's 100th Anniversary celebration, the world premiere of Gabriela Ortiz’s Violin Concerto Altar de Cuerda with concerts at Walt Disney Concert Hall, on tour in Barcelona, Paris and London, and sold-out premieres at Carnegie Hall and in Boston. The recording of this work is part of the album Revolución diamantina which won three Grammy Awards in 2025.

A versatile artist with a remarkable passion for composition, the creative endeavours of María Dueñas include Homage 1770, a piece for solo violin inspired by her debut album and Beethoven’s legacy, Farewell, a solo piano piece, and cadenzas for most of the violin concerto repertoire. In August 2024, she released Julian Lawrence Gargiulo's Sonata No.4, From the Window, for Deutsche Grammophon, showcasing her commitment to contemporary music. As a dedicated chamber musician, María Dueñas has forged meaningful artistic partnerships with some of the most respected names in the field, such as baritone Matthias Goerne, pianist Itamar Golan and violinist Renaud Capuçon.

Her remarkable fusion of classical tradition and contemporary innovation led her to play the reincarnation of Kathleen Parlow in the film Measures for a Funeral by Sofia Bohdanowicz, rediscovering Johan Halvorsen's long-lost Violin Concerto, Op.28. This masterpiece was brought to life in a stunning performance with the Orchestre Métropolitain under the baton of Yannick Nézet-Séguin, which premiered at the 2024 Toronto Film Festival.

María Dueñas performs on a Nicolò Gagliano violin from 17?4, on loan from Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben, and has also been entrusted with the Stradivarius Camposelice from 1710 by the Nippon Music Foundation.

Anna Lapwood MBE is an organist, conductor and broadcaster. She is the official Organist of the Royal Albert Hall and is Artist in Association with the BBC Singers. In Spring 2025, Anna was included in the annual Sunday Times Young Power List, celebrating the 30 most powerful people under 30 in the UK. Anna completes her transformational decade as Director of Music at Pembroke College, Cambridge in August 2025 with an all-night BBC Prom at London’s Royal Albert Hall.

Anna made her debut at the BBC Proms in 2021 with The Hallé and Sir Mark Elder, as soloist in Saint-Saëns’ ‘Organ Symphony’, and gave her Proms recital debut two years later. She returned to the Proms in August 2025 to host a special all-night program, From Dark Till Dawn, featuring performances from Barokksolistene, Hayato Sumino and many more. A concerto soloist with leading orchestras and conductors, including the London Symphony Orchestra and Sir Antonio Pappano, Anna will serve as Artist in Residence with The Hallé throughout the 2025-26 season. Recent and forthcoming concerts include performances at Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, the Sydney Opera House, Walt Disney Concert Hall (Los Angeles) and Boardwalk Hall (Atlantic City).

Deeply committed to the creation of new work for organ and choir, Anna’s recent commissions include compositions by Kristina Arakelyan, Olivia Belli, Max Richter and Lucy Walker. Her desire to explore fresh creative pathways is likewise reflected in pioneering partnerships with, among others, Aurora, Florence and the Machine, Raye, Jules Buckley, Alison Balsom, Bonobo and Benedict Cumberbatch. She attracted capacity audiences in 2024 to her first UK tour promoted by AEG Presents and is set to headline a second nationwide tour for AEG during the Christmas season in 2025.

Anna’s debut solo organ album, Images, released on Signum Records in 2021, features her transcription for organ of the Four Sea Interludes from Britten’s Peter Grimes. Three albums with the Choirs of Pembroke College have also been released on Signum to great acclaim. Her exclusive relationship with SONY Classical was launched with an EP, Midnight Sessions at the Royal Albert Hall, followed in September 2023 by her debut album, LUNA, which rose to No.1 in the UK’s classical chart and became the year’s fastest selling classical album. Her latest album, Firedove, is scheduled for release in May 2025.

Anna is an ardent champion of the organ. A gifted communicator, hailed by Gramophone as ‘the dream ambassador for classical music’, she reaches a vast audience through her performances and via social media, attracting over two million followers across all platforms. Her online posts have already amassed tens of millions of views. Anna’s passion for the organ is matched by her mission to support girls and women in music. She became the first female in the 560-year history of Magdalen College, Oxford to be awarded an Organ Scholarship; since her appointment as Pembroke’s youngest ever Director of Music in 2016, she has run regular workshops for young organists around the UK, hosted the Cambridge Organ Experience for Girls and held an annual 24-hour ‘Bachathon’ to raise money to support musicians in Zambia.

After making her TV presenting debut as host of BBC Young Musician, Anna subsequently presented and guested on televised Proms for the BBC from the Royal Albert Hall. As a radio broadcaster, she is a regular contributor to BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 4 and independent stations and has appeared in many international television and radio programmes and podcasts. Her six-part series for BBC Radio 3, A View From the Organ Loft, was broadcast in 2024 followed by a three-part series, The Royal Albert Hall of Fame, for Classic FM in 2025.

A persuasive advocate for music education, Anna is determined to bring music to children of all backgrounds. Her commitment to equality and diversity is evident throughout her life and work, not least in the new music that she has commissioned and programmes in her recitals across Europe and North America. Gregoriana, an anthology of twelve new organ pieces by female composers, which she curated and edited for Stainer & Bell, was awarded Presto Music’s Publication of the Year in 2022. Her own compositions are published by Boosey & Hawkes.

Having spent some years being encouraged to “play like a man”, Anna is proud and humbled to see so many adopt her hashtag #playlikeagirl.