Laurence Cummings is one of Britain's most exciting and versatile exponents of historical performance both as a conductor and a harpsichord player. A noted authority on Handel, the Guardian has written of him “he now ranks as one of the composer’s best advocates in the world. Self-effacing on the podium, faithful above all to the score, he matches Handel’s energy and invention with unmistakable lyricism, generosity and dignity.”

He is Music Director of the Academy of Ancient Music and Orquestra Barroca Casa da Música in Porto and has previously held positions as Artistic Director of the Internationale Händel-Festpiele Göttingen (2011 – 2021) and Musical Director of the London Handel Festival (1999 – 2024).

Frequently praised for his stylish and compelling performances in the opera house, his career has taken him across Europe, conducting new productions at houses including Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, English National Opera, Opernhaus Zurich, Oper Frankfurt, Theater an der Wien, Gothenburg Opera, Theater Basel, Théâtre du Châtelet Paris and Opera de Lyon. He has worked with directors including Barrie Koskie, David McVicar, Christoph Marthaler, Deborah Warner, Adele Thomas, Claus Guth, Oliver Mears, Sebastian Baumgarten, John Caird, Graham Vick and Peter Sellars

Equally at home on the concert platform, he is regularly invited to conduct both period and modern instrument orchestras worldwide. In recent seasons this has included Zurich Chamber Orchestra, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Netherlands Bach Society, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, St Paul Chamber Orchestra Minneapolis, St Louis Symphony, and Handel and Haydn Society Boston.

His recordings include orchestral discs on BIS, Sony BMG, Harmonia Mundi and Chandos, as well as a series of live opera and concert performances recorded at the Göttingen International Handel Festival and released on Accent.

Highlights for 24/25 include new productions of Idomeneo for Dutch National Opera and Agrippina at Halle Handel Festival and first appearances with Music of the Baroque Chicago, National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland and Tonnkunstler Orchester Graffeneg.

Photo: Christian Knorr