André de Ridder walks into the room, exuding enthusiasm and a sense of purpose. As he prepares to take the helm as music director of English National Opera (ENO), he's aware that the company is at a crossroads. The announcement in 2022 that ENO would lose all its funding unless it moved out of London sent shockwaves through the opera world, prompting a desperate fightback.
De Ridder's predecessor, Martyn Brabbins, had quit abruptly in 2023, citing "managed decline" and a sense that the company was heading in the wrong direction. This followed a similar resignation by Mark Wigglesworth in 2016, who claimed ENO had evolved into something he no longer recognized.
Yet de Ridder sees only opportunities. The Berlin-raised conductor, 54, believes the shake-ups are behind him and that London and Manchester offer a unique chance for ENO to flourish. "I like this construction of London and Manchester," he says, his eyes shining with excitement. "And I like the spirit of pioneering, of becoming an opera company in a city that previously hasn't had a resident opera company."
De Ridder's connection to Manchester runs deep. He studied at the Royal Northern College of Music for two years before working as assistant to Mark Elder at the Hallé. The new setup presents a "great chance for an opera company and a great chance for opera at large" to develop a new audience in Greater Manchester, he believes.
The conductor knows his predecessors well, having worked with Edward Gardner and Martyn Brabbins on conducting courses. De Ridder has chosen not to speak to them before taking the reins, wanting a clean start without any preconceived notions or baggage.
De Ridder's enthusiasm is contagious as he talks about the upcoming production of Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill. He sees this work as a chance for ENO to expand its boundaries and explore new sounds, incorporating punk, tango, and American blues music into the classical tradition.
As he prepares to take on the challenge, de Ridder is acutely aware of the stakes. The company's musicians and choristers are depleted, and rehearsal periods have been reduced. But he remains optimistic, citing the "core of the orchestra" as still being present and the "spirit of 'Let's do it'" among the performers.
De Ridder's decision to leave Germany for ENO is driven by a desire for change, not comfort. "It's comfortable in Germany," he admits, "but I want to be part of something that's pushing the boundaries."
As we speak, de Ridder can feel the energy building around him. The buzz in the room is palpable, and he senses that life and death are hanging in the balance. But for this conductor, there's only one feeling – a sense of purpose and belonging.
"I love working in Germany," he says, "but people are comfortable. And I love it here."
De Ridder's predecessor, Martyn Brabbins, had quit abruptly in 2023, citing "managed decline" and a sense that the company was heading in the wrong direction. This followed a similar resignation by Mark Wigglesworth in 2016, who claimed ENO had evolved into something he no longer recognized.
Yet de Ridder sees only opportunities. The Berlin-raised conductor, 54, believes the shake-ups are behind him and that London and Manchester offer a unique chance for ENO to flourish. "I like this construction of London and Manchester," he says, his eyes shining with excitement. "And I like the spirit of pioneering, of becoming an opera company in a city that previously hasn't had a resident opera company."
De Ridder's connection to Manchester runs deep. He studied at the Royal Northern College of Music for two years before working as assistant to Mark Elder at the Hallé. The new setup presents a "great chance for an opera company and a great chance for opera at large" to develop a new audience in Greater Manchester, he believes.
The conductor knows his predecessors well, having worked with Edward Gardner and Martyn Brabbins on conducting courses. De Ridder has chosen not to speak to them before taking the reins, wanting a clean start without any preconceived notions or baggage.
De Ridder's enthusiasm is contagious as he talks about the upcoming production of Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill. He sees this work as a chance for ENO to expand its boundaries and explore new sounds, incorporating punk, tango, and American blues music into the classical tradition.
As he prepares to take on the challenge, de Ridder is acutely aware of the stakes. The company's musicians and choristers are depleted, and rehearsal periods have been reduced. But he remains optimistic, citing the "core of the orchestra" as still being present and the "spirit of 'Let's do it'" among the performers.
De Ridder's decision to leave Germany for ENO is driven by a desire for change, not comfort. "It's comfortable in Germany," he admits, "but I want to be part of something that's pushing the boundaries."
As we speak, de Ridder can feel the energy building around him. The buzz in the room is palpable, and he senses that life and death are hanging in the balance. But for this conductor, there's only one feeling – a sense of purpose and belonging.
"I love working in Germany," he says, "but people are comfortable. And I love it here."
de ridder sounds super enthusiastic about taking on the role but like isn't this just gonna be more of the same old thing? ENO's always had its issues, who's really changing things around here? 
He's gonna be good at that job. ENO needs someone to shake things up and bring some new energy to the table. I've been following this story for a while now, and it's clear that de Ridder is not your average conductor. He's got a fire in his belly, and he's all about pushing boundaries. That's exactly what ENO needs right now. The fact that he's coming from Germany and has ties to Manchester only adds to the excitement. This could be the catalyst for some real change in the opera world. 
. His new setup in London & Manchester could bring some fresh blood to the opera scene & I'm loving the idea of them exploring punk, tango, and American blues music with Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny - it's time for ENO to shake things up 
). I think de Ridder's plan to develop a new audience in Greater Manchester could be a real winner, especially with their proximity to Manchester Arena & other major concert venues 
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De Ridder's decision to join ENO at this time could be a much-needed injection of energy & talent 
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André de Ridder seems like a breath of fresh air for English National Opera (ENO). His enthusiasm is infectious and I'm loving the way he's talking about pushing boundaries with music 
. As someone who's struggled to find innovative opera companies, it's exciting to see someone bringing punk, tango, and American blues into the classical tradition 
. I'm curious to see how this new setup in Manchester will play out, especially considering their connection to the Hallé and Mark Elder 
️. He's all about giving London and Manchester a new lease on life, and I am HERE FOR IT 
. It's crazy to think the company was on the brink of collapse back in 2022 
, but de Ridder sees opportunities instead of roadblocks. And let's be real, the upcoming production of Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny sounds like a wild ride 
!
so is André de Ridder really convinced that moving to Manchester will turn ENO around? 
just saw news about André de Ridder taking over at English National Opera 
and gotta say I'm super excited! 
, and I think it's gonna be awesome to see him bring some fresh energy to the company 
and I love that he wants ENO to expand its sound by incorporating different styles like punk and tango 
he's really got his finger on what people want from opera nowadays 
In his case, it's a deliberate choice to leave behind the comfort of Germany for a new chapter with ENO. It raises questions about what drives us – is it desire for change or fear of the unknown? 
his passion for opera is infectious and i'm excited to see what he does with rise and fall of mahagonny it's gonna be interesting to see how he incorporates different genres into a classical opera 
. But times change and ENO is one of those companies trying to adapt 
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. Losing funding and all that jazz can't be easy 
. And with a depleted orchestra and reduced rehearsal periods? That's like trying to put out a fire without any water 
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. And it sounds like de Ridder is ready for the challenge 
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I feel like de Ridder is gonna be amazing as music director of ENO 
. and what's with the setup in london and manchester, is that a clever way to create a new scene for opera? 
. Still, there's something compelling about his vision for pushing opera boundaries... let's see if he can deliver 
? And how do you balance innovation with staying true to the classical music tradition? That's something de Ridder seems pretty passionate about, but I'm not sure if he's thought it through fully.