Ivor Bolton

Ivor Bolton (born 17 May 1958) is an English conductor and harpsichordist.

Early life and education Bolton was born in Blackrod, Greater Manchester, England. He studied at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Blackburn and Clare College, Cambridge (1976–80), and was conducting scholar at the Royal College of Music (1980–81). He later trained as a répétiteur at the National Opera Studio and was appointed conductor of Schola Cantorum of Oxford.

Career Bolton was assistant chorus master and staff conductor from 1982 to 1984 for Glyndebourne Festival Opera. He made his operatic conducting debut in 1986 with Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress for Opera 80.

From 2004 to 2016, Bolton was Chief Conductor of the Mozarteum Orchestra of Salzburg, with which he appeared at The Proms in 2006. He took the title of Ehrendirigent (Honorary Conductor) with the Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg as of the 2016–2017 season. In February 2014, the Teatro Real in Madrid named Bolton its next music director, effective from the 2015–16 season, with an initial contract of five years. Bolton concluded his tenure as music director of the Teatro Real at the close of the 2024–2025 season.

In June 2015, the Sinfonieorchester Basel announced the appointment of Bolton as its next chief conductor, as of the 2016–2017 season, with an initial contract of 4 years. Bolton concluded his tenure as chief conductor of the Sinfonieorchester Basel at the close of the 2024–2025 season.

With the Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg, Bolton has made commercial recordings of music by W. A. Mozart, Joseph Haydn, Michael Haydn, Hector Berlioz, and Anton Bruckner. In addition, he has conducted commercial recordings of Handel's Theodora from the Salzburg Festival, Mayr's Medea in Corinto from Munich, Janáček's Jenůfa from the Teatro Real Madrid, Cavalli's Ercole amante from the Netherlands Opera, and Mozart's Zaide and La finta giardiniera from Salzburg.

Bolton was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2023 Birthday Honours for services to music.

Personal life Bolton is married to the musicologist, critic, and broadcaster Tess Knighton, whom he met at Cambridge. The couple have a son, and reside in Barcelona.