ENSEMBLE MODERN - 22.6.2025

Happy New Ears

Frankfurt, Germany

TRONDHEIM SYMFONIORKESTER & OPERA - 22.8.2025

Trondheim, Norway

ORCHESTRE NATIONAL DE FRANCE - 29.8.2025

Paris, France

3nd Prize Winner - Competition “Guido Cantelli” 2022

2nd Prize Winner - Princess Astrid International Competition 2022

2nd Prize Winner - International Competition of Young Conductors Lovro von Matačić 2019

3rd Prize Winner - Georg Solti International Conducting Competition 2015

Winner - Neeme Järvi Prize, Menuhin Festival 2015

Toby Thatcher is an Australian/British conductor. He is Artistic Director of Zeitgeist.

During 2024/25 Toby will debut with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and Trondheim Symfoniorkester, and return to the London Symphony Orchestra (a side-by-side project with students from the Guildhall School of Music), Orchestre National de France, Ensemble Modern, Riot Ensemble and Sinfonia Smith Square

Toby has worked with ensembles internationally including Orchestre National de France, hr-Sinfonieorchester Frankfurt, Ensemble Modern, Ensemble Intercontemporain, RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Slovenian Philharmonic, Sinfonietta Cracovia, Croatian Radiotelevision Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonieorchester Basel, Korean Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble Musikfabrik, Riot Ensemble, and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra.

He has recorded for Deutschlandfunk with the Riot Ensemble.

Toby has held Assistant Conductor or been a guest Assistant Conductor for the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra Orchestre National de France, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and Orchestre National d'Île-de-France. Between 2018-19, he was mentored by Peter Eötvös. In 2019 he was Conducting Fellow at the Cabrillo Festival, under Cristian Măcelaru.

Toby has been invited as guest speaker by the Royal Academy of Music, University of the Arts London & the British Association of Romantic Studies. He has appeared on BBC Radio 3 & the ABC.

Toby graduated from the Royal Academy of Music with an MA in Music Performance. As an orchestral musician he performed regularly with the London Philharmonia, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, & London Sinfonietta.

PRESS

“…rich in inventiveness and energy…a pandemonium of groundbreaking musicality”
- Klassiek Centraal, on Riot Ensemble @ TRANSIT

“Thatcher led…with panache, a spring in his movements.”
- Limelight Magazine

"...a deep understanding of the repertoire.”
- CutCommon

“...excellent conducting technique, authority and musicality...highly impressive.”
- David Robertson, conductor

“...a curious and passionate exponent of new music…”
- Peter Eötvös, composer/conductor

“Thatcher used an entire repertoire of body language to coax clarity and dynamics. Very impressive.”
- Robert Small, Fine Music 102.5