Christopher Ward

Christopher Ward (born 18 March 1980) is a British conductor who has spent most of his career working in Germany. He was music director of Theater Aachen from 2018 to 2026. . Career Christopher Ward studied at Tonbridge School, Oxford University and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London. . During this time, he worked with Oxford University Philharmonia and Chorus, Oxford Bach Choir and New Chamber Opera. In 2003, he was awarded the position of Répétiteur Fellow at Scottish Opera and the RSAMD, Glasgow. In 2006, he assisted Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic in a production of Wagner’s Das Rheingold at the Aix-en-Provence Festival, and continued this association in Berlin and Salzburg Easter Festival 2007).

In 2014, he became 1. Kapellmeister at the Saarländisches Staatstheater. . He has conducted world premieres at Prague Spring International Music Festival and Bregenz Summer Festival, and in 2019 took over at short notice the world premiere of Jörg Widmann’s Babylon for an indisposed Daniel Barenboim at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden, Berlin.

Ward was Generalmusikdirektor of Theater Aachen from 2018 to 2026, where his productions and concerts included Berg's Wozzeck, Verdi's La Forza del Destino, Bizet's Carmen, Purcell's King Arthur and Puccini's La bohème, appearing regularly with Sinfonieorchester Aachen at the Kölner Philharmonie and Amsterdam Concertgebouw. Alongside maintaining a focus on contemporary music, he developed a baroque ensemble from within the orchestra that plays on period instruments.

Christopher Ward has been appointed Music Director of Longborough Festival Opera, succeeding Anthony Negus from the 2027 season when Negus becomes Conductor Laureate.