Rory Macdonald stands out as one of the most engaging British conductors of his generation, leading stylish performances of a notably wide range of operatic and symphonic repertoire.
In great demand as operatic conductor, he has conducted new productions for the Royal Opera House, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera and Royal Danish Opera amongst others. Notable highlights have included Peter Grimes (Brisbane Festival), Albert Herring (Glyndebourne), The Turn of the Screw (Vienna Konzerthaus), The Rape of Lucretia (Houston Grand Opera), Carmen (Santa Fe Opera, Canadian Opera Company), Così fan tutte, Le Nozze di Figaro (Oper Frankfurt), Fra Diavolo (Opera di Roma), A Village Romeo and Juliet (Wexford Festival) and The Cunning Little Vixen (Bergen National Opera).
Engagements recently and in seasons beyond include returns to Oper Frankfurt for Le nozze di Figaro and to the Opera Theater of Saint Louis for The Magic Flute, La bohème with the Glyndebourne Tour, as well as performances with the Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra, the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie, debuts with the Philharmonia and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and a return to the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.
On the concert podium highlights include the première performances of works by notable composers including Sir James Macmillan, Carl Vine, Sally Beamish and Geoffrey Gordon, as well as guest engagements with such orchestras as the Royal Concertgebouw, Oslo Philharmonic, Bergen Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, Hallé, BBC Philharmonic and BBC Scottish Symphony amongst many others.
Rory’s discography includes Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy with Nicola Benedetti (Decca), Eric Chisholm's Piano Concertos with Danny Driver (Hyperion), The Beauty Stone by Arthur Sullivan (Chandos) and Thomas Wilson’s Third and Fourth Symphonies with the RSNO which was released in 2019 on Linn Records to critical acclaim, and similarly with symphonies No. 2 and 5 in 2020.
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Puccini La bohème, Glyndebourne and on tour
(October 2022)
Rory Macdonald, meanwhile, conducts with great energy and passion, and the playing and choral singing are first rate.
Tim Ashley, The Guardian****
The conductor Rory Macdonald relished all the detail of Puccini’s masterly orchestration, supported the soloists with emphatic rubato, and got terrific playing and singing from the chorus and orchestra. I have not seen a finer ‘Bohème’ at Glyndebourne than this festival-worthy performance.
Hugh Canning, Opera Magazine
Rory Macdonald conducted the Glyndebourne Tour Orchestra with energy, maintaining the forward momentum as well as eliciting the rich lyricism of Puccini’s luscious scoring.
Nick Boston, Bachtrack****
… a performance that’s always very well conducted with subtle-sensuous orchestral sounds, the liveliness absolutely together.
David Nice, The Arts Desk****
Brahms Piano Concerto 2 & Sibelius Symphony 4, RSNO
Lammermuir Festival (September 2022)
Conductor Rory Macdonald and the orchestra beautifully shaped Sibelius’s elusive soundscapes into a work of real substance.
Susan Nickalls, The Scotsman
Mozart The Magic Flute, Opera Theatre of St Louis
(May 2022)
Conductor Rory Macdonald leads his orchestra into true beauty in support of these fine voices.
Steve Callahan, Broadway World
From the dramatically beautiful music of the overture conducted by Rory Macdonald, it was clear that the audience should prepare themselves to be blown away.
St Louis American
Rory Macdonald conducts members of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra in a clean, clear, and smartly paced reading of the score. The overture was particularly impressive, with the fugal sections impeccably precise.
Chuck Lavazzi, KDHX Radio
The production starts with a gripping account of the famous overture by the Saint Louis Symphony under conductor Rory Macdonald. Their musical understanding and execution are exemplary throughout.
Gerry Kowarsky, HEC-TV
Weber Euryanthe: Ouvertüre, Mahler Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen & Brahms Symphony No. 1
Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie (February 2022)
Rory Macdonald, the vehement guest from Great Britain at the podium of the NWD, made the Weber Overture glisten and sparkle and also set the second theme clearly apart in terms of tempo… Rory Macdonald presented an incredibly sporty version of this all-time favourite [Brahms]. Right from the start there was a lot of pressure on the tempo: Herford hasn't experienced such a wild version for a long time. … the audience took a deep breath at the end and cheered. Most people had not thought that the North German [Brahms], who is often described as reserved, could be so much fun musically.
Stephan Köhne, Herforder Kreisblatt
From the outset, guest conductor Rory Macdonald demonstrated his impressive ability to simultaneously achieve a clear, finely tuned orchestral sound despite tremendous energy. This was particularly impressive in Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen… Rory Macdonald showed with his fresh approach how one can place romantic sounds without sentimentality, and energetic sounds without demonstration of violence in the room. An evening that put what was believed to be familiar in a new light and thus fascinated all listeners.
Philipp Tenta, Neue Westfälische Zeitung
Great performance by the orchestra under Macdonald's animated baton. The audience was enthusiastic and thanked them with a lot of applause.
Dr Silvana Kreyer, Die Glocke
[Rory] knew about the special Mahlerian sound of this music, the yearning trumpet signals, the funeral march tone, and had these orchestral colours painted in a contoured and self-confident way… With a taut posture, the British conductor signalled that he would not tolerate slackness and radiated so much energy that Weber's wonderful music just sparkled with happiness and splendour… Stunning. Huge applause.
Matthias Gans
Dvorak Cello Concerto & Wagner Siegfried Idyll, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic
(June 2021)
[Dvorak’s Cello Concerto] was a performance shimmering with purpose; after the opening movement came a boldly lyrical adagio with its lament for Dvorak’s lost love through her favourite song Leave Me Alone, and a playful final allegro – playfulness replicatedin energetic playing from the Phil (with conductor Rory Macdonald literally bouncing on the box) which practically leapt off the screen.
[Wagner’s Siegfried Idyll] was a delicate, intimate piece of music making with plenty of starring moments for woodwind – oboist Jonathan Small and Helen Wilson on flute among them - and French horn, and with Macdonald shaping a series of burnished crescendos on the way to a radiant sunrise motif of three rising notes.
Arts City Liverpool****1/2
Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto no. 1 & Sibelius, Philharmonia Orchestra
Royal Festival Hall (April 2021)
How on earth can you make this concerto sound new? By dialling everything down and revealing the delicacy that lies behind the surface fireworks. Ably abetted by conductor Rory Macdonald… Macdonald shaped the orchestral sound in a way that allowed it to work, so that there was never any sense of coarseness or ostentation. It’s unexpected, but quite lovely, and made the normally barnstorming opening sound much more lyrical than usual… Macdonald and the orchestra met him with tone that matched the pianist beautifully, nowhere more so than in the dusky delicacy of the beginning and end of the slow movement. They then produced a showcase of colour for Sibelius’ King Christian II suite…
Simon Thompson, Bachtrack*****
CD: Thomas Wilson: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 5, Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Linn CKD643 (November 2020)
No 2 is in three movements; it is music of exalted rhetoric, edgy intensity and the solidest craftsmanship. No 5, his last completed work, is a superb single span that embraces a luminous excursion for strings. Splendid, devoted performances.
Paul Driver, The Sunday Times
Conductor Rory Macdonald elicits a performance of rhythmic vigour and emotional heft. …Wilson’s music has been neglected since his death. Here’s the reason that should change.
Ken Walton, The Scotsman
…both receive committed performances from Rory Macdonald’s orchestral force
BBC Music Magazine
The powering inevitability of a substantial opening movement not without its tender cameos; the mutable agitation of the central movement; the pugnacious Walton-inspired urgency of the finale: all are addressed with clear-minded singularity by Macdonald, begging the question, why is this work not performed more often?
Vox Carnyx
Rory MacDonald and the excellent Scottish forces give a precise performance, engaged and beautifully stripped down, adorning the work in alternately dark and dreamy colours.
Diapason
Both works benefit from strongly committed performances by Rory Macdonald and his players.
Christian Hoskins, Gramophone
…throughout MacDonald keeps up the tension so that the whole movement unfolds in gripping form without any sense of sag. The performances from Rory MacDonald and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra are terrific, in both works they capture the concentrated element of Wilson's writing, but also bring out the many incidental beauties of his instrumental writing and ear for orchestral colour.
Robert Hugill, Planet Hugill*****
Rory Macdonald and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra commit themselves wholeheartedly, and do these often beautiful works full justice. The recording and production are excellent on all counts.
Hubert Culot, MusicWeb International
The Royal Scottish National Orchestra have once again been fastidiously prepared and (unsurprisingly for a Linn disc) sound magnificent under Rory Macdonald.
Richard Hanlon, MusicWeb International
Macdonald and the RSNO approach the music with confidence and vigor
TiVo
Thomas Wilson Symphonies Nos. 3 & 4 recording, Linn CKD 616
Royal Scottish National Orchestra / February 2019
Wilson’s Symphony No 3 is an absorbing and rigorous work in comparison and is arrestingly played by Macdonald’s RSNO.
Andrew Mellor, Gramophone
The sound is rich, full and present, while the orchestral performances under Rory Macdonald are dramatically charged, colourful, and assured...It is a winning disc in every way.
Fanfare *****
Rory Macdonald draws thrilling, punchy playing from the Royal Scottish National Orchestra...Fascinating, and a startling introduction to a very individual voice.
Graham Rickson, The Arts Desk
Le nozze di Figaro
Gothenburg Opera / September 2019
The Gothenburg Opera's choir and orchestra under the direction of Rory Macdonald sound just as I want that Mozart should be interpreted when it is at its best.
Thorvald Pellby Petterson, Swedish Radio P4 Sjuhärad
Mozart Requiem, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra
Adelaide Festival / February 2020
The ASO (conductor Rory Macdonald and concertmaster Natsuko Yoshimoto) give sterling support interpreting the augmented Requiem.
Steve Evans, InDaily
…the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra (under the baton of Rory Macdonald) make a sensitive and nuanced landscape of sound for them to sing in.
Robert Reid, Witness
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