Harry Bicket — Conductor

Harry Bicket is internationally renowned as an opera and concert conductor of distinction, especially celebrated for his interpretations of the baroque and classical repertoire. Since 2007, he has served as Artistic Director of The English Concert, one of Europe’s leading period orchestras. With the ensemble he has launched an ambitious long-term project to film the complete works of Handel, creating an unprecedented online resource.

Mr. Bicket is also Music Director of the Santa Fe Opera, where he has led productions including Don Giovanni, Orfeo, Alcina, Carmen, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Le nozze di Figaro, Fidelio, La finta giardiniera, Così fan tutte, Roméo et Juliette, Candide, and Pelléas et Mélisande. In North America, he is a frequent guest at The Metropolitan Opera, particularly in Mozart and Handel repertoire, and recently returned to the Canadian Opera Company for Le nozze di Figaro.

In Europe, he has conducted at many of the most prestigious houses. At the Opéra national de Paris, he led Ariodante in 2023 and returned the following season for Giulio Cesare. This year, he makes his debut at Opernhaus Zürich with a new production of Agrippina. At the Bayerische Staatsoper, he has conducted Rinaldo, Ariodante, Serse, Orlando, Orfeo ed Euridice, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Die Entführung aus dem Serail, and Die Zauberflöte. In the U.K., he is a regular presence at all the major opera houses; his production of Handel’s Theodora at the Royal Opera House (2022) was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best New Production. Last season, he returned to Opera North for Purcell’s Masque of Might, directed by David Pountney.

Born in Liverpool, Mr. Bicket studied at the Royal College of Music and Oxford University, where he was organ scholar at Christ Church. He was appointed an Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Music (Hon RAM) in 2018.