Nicholas Collon

A viola player, organist and pianist by training, Collon played viola in the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain (NYOGB). He studied at Eton and was an organ scholar at Clare College, Cambridge. One of his conducting mentors was Sir Colin Davis, and Collon has served as an assistant conductor to Sir Mark Elder.{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jul/27/nicholas-collon-aurora-orchestra-interview | title=Nicholas Collon: 'We live in the era of iPod shuffle' | work=The Guardian | author=Nick Shave | date=27 July 2011 | accessdate=8 August 2015}}

In 2004, Collon, Robin Ticciati and fellow NYOGB musicians founded the Aurora Orchestra, with Collon as its artistic director. He was awarded the 2008 Arts Foundation Fellowship for conducting, from a list of twenty nominated British conductors. For the 2011–2012 season, Collon was Assistant Conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra.{{cite press release | title=Nicholas Collon appointed Assistant Conductor | url=https://londonphilharmonic.wordpress.com/2011/05/19/nicholas-collon-appointed-assistant-conductor/ | publisher=London Philharmonic Orchestra | date=19 May 2011 | accessdate=8 August 2015}}

In April 2007, Collon conducted Mozart's The Magic Flute, directed by Samuel West, in Ramallah and Bethlehem, the first-ever staged opera production in the West Bank, and returned in 2009 with the same team for performances of La bohème. His English National Opera conducting debut was in September 2012.{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/sep/16/magic-flute-eno-bartered-bride-byo | title=The Magic Flute; The Bartered Bride – review | work=The Observer | author=Fiona Maddocks|authorlink=Fiona Maddocks | date=15 September 2012 | accessdate=8 August 2015}} In June 2013, he conducted the British stage premiere of Jonathan Harvey's opera Wagner Dream for Welsh National Opera.{{cite news | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/opera/10107748/Wagner-Dream-WNO-review.html | title=Wagner Dream, WNO, review | work=The Daily Telegraph | author=John Allison | date=8 June 2013 | accessdate=8 August 2015}}

In June 2015, the Residentie Orchestra in The Hague announced the appointment of Collon as its co-principal conductor, effective 1 August 2016, for a minimum term of three years, with an estimate of 6 weeks of appearances per season.{{cite press release | title=Britse dirigent Nicholas Collon nieuwe vaste dirigent Residentie Orkest | url=http://www.residentieorkest.nl/index.php?pageID=116&messageID=398 | publisher=Residentie Orkest | date=17 June 2015 | accessdate=8 August 2015}} In June 2017, the Residentie Orchestra announced Collon's appointment as the Residentie Orchestra's sole chief conductor and artistic advisor, effective 1 August 2018, with a minimum of 8 weeks of appearances per season.{{cite press release | url=https://www.residentieorkest.nl/nicholas-collon-chef-dirigent/ | title=Nicholas Collon chef-dirigent Residentie Orkest | publisher=Residentie Orkest | date=15 June 2017 | accessdate=16 June 2017}} He stood down as chief conductor of the Residentie Orchestra at the close of the 2020–2021 season.{{cite press release | url=https://www.residentieorkest.nl/en/anja-bihlmaier/ | title=Anja Bihlmaier appointed new Chief Conductor of Residentie Orkest The Hague from summer of 2021 | publisher=Residentie Orkest | date=10 May 2019 | accessdate=14 May 2019}}

In 2017, Collon first guest-conducted the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra (FRSO). In May 2019, the FRSO announced the appointment of Collon as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2021–2022 season. He is the first non-Finnish conductor to be named chief conductor of the FRSO.{{cite press release | url=https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2019/05/02/finnish-radio-symphony-orchestra-elects-nicholas-collon-as-its-next-chief-0 | title=Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra elects Nicholas Collon as its next Chief Conductor | publisher=Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra | date=2 May 2019 | accessdate=4 May 2019}} In February 2023, the FRSO announced the extension of Collon's contract as its chief conductor through the 2027–2028 season.{{cite press release | url=https://yle.fi/aihe/a/20-10004211 | title= Nicholas Collon to continue as Chief Conductor of the FRSO until 2028 | publisher=Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra | date=7 February 2023 | accessdate=10 February 2023}}

Collon has conducted commercial recordings with the Aurora Orchestra for Warner Classics.{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/nov/27/aurora-orchestra-road-trip-adams-copland-cd-review | title=Adams: Chamber Symphony; Copland: Appalachian Spring etc CD review – immensely suggestive | work=The Guardian | author=Andrew Clements | date=27 November 2014 | accessdate=8 August 2015}}{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/aug/06/aurora-orchestra-insomnia-cd-review-britten-beatles-dean-ades-ligeti | title=The Aurora Orchestra: Insomnia CD review – a bit of a ragbag | work=The Guardian | author=Andrew Clements | date=6 August 2015 | accessdate=8 August 2015}}

Collon is married to flautist Jane Mitchell, creative leader of the Aurora Orchestra.{{cite news | author=Kvist, Wilhelm | title=Vi måste spegla hela samhället | newspaper=Hufvudstadsbladet | date=4 September 2021 | pages=26–27 | location=Helsingfors | language=Swedish | url=https://www.hbl.fi/artikel/vi-maste-spegla-hela-samhallet/ }}

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.nicholascollon.co.uk Official website of Nicholas Collon]
• [http://www.auroraorchestra.com/about-us/nicholas-collon/ Aurora Orchestra website page on Collon]
• [http://www.icartists.co.uk/artists/nicholas-collon International Classical Artists agency page on Collon]
• [http://www.artsfoundation.co.uk/Artist-Year/2008/all/189/Collon-Nicholas Arts Foundation, "Nicholas Collon: Conducting – Winner 2008"]
• [http://www.musicalcriticism.com/interviews/collon-0611.shtml Mike Reynolds, 'Interview: Nicholas Collon'. MusicalCriticism.com webpage, 21 June 2011]
• [https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/jul/06/facing-the-music-conductor-nicholas-collon 'Facing the music: Nicholas Collon'. The Guardian, 6 July 2015]
• [https://www.residentieorkest.nl/en/nicholas-collon-chief-conductor/ Residentie Orkest, English-language page on Nicholas Collon]
• [http://naxosmusiclibrary.com/sharedfiles/booklets/NAC/booklet-8.557130.pdf CD booklet Rutter: Requiem, lines on 'Nicholas Collon, organist', Naxos Records, 2003]
• [https://www.naxos.com/Bio/Person/Nicholas_Collon/3184 Nicholas Collon discography] at Naxos Records

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{{succession box | title=Principal Conductor, Aurora Orchestra | before=(no predecessor) | years=2004–present | after=incumbent}}

{{succession box | title=Co-Principal Conductor, Residentie Orchestra | before=Neeme Järvi (chief conductor) | years=2016–2018 | after=incumbent (as chief conductor)}}

{{succession box | title=Chief Conductor, Residentie Orchestra | before=Neeme Järvi | years=2018–2021 | after=Anja Bihlmaier}}

{{succession box | title=Chief Conductor, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra | before=Hannu Lintu | years=2021–present | after=incumbent}}

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Category:1983 births

Category:Musicians from London

Category:Living people

Category:People educated at Eton College

Category:Alumni of Clare College, Cambridge

Category:British male conductors (music)

Category:21st-century British conductors (music)

Category:21st-century British male musicians