Introducing: Daniel Harding

For a night of Rossini, Tchaikovsky and Dvořák, the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra will be under the baton of acclaimed British conductor Daniel Harding. With this exciting night ahead of us, for those of you still unacquainted with this Oxford-born talent, allow us to provide an introduction.

Daniel Harding is the current music director of the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, and has just been announced to be taking up a new position as Music Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic for the 2027/28 season.

Born in Oxford, Harding spent his early years at The Cherwell School on Marston Ferry Road. After picking up the trumpet in his hometown and already showing signs of talent, he went on to study at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester and joined the National Youth Orchestra.

At 17, Harding sent a tape – a performance of Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire – to another great of British conducting, Sir Simon Rattle, at that time with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Impressed, Rattle subsequently hired the young Harding as his assistant. After a short stint at the University of Cambridge, Harding left the UK and accepted an invite from Claudio Abbado to join him in Berlin.

To this day, he is both the youngest to conduct the Berliner Philharmoniker and the youngest to make a conducting appearance at The Proms. Quite a feat by 21 years old.

Since then, he has appeared with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the London Symphony Orchestra, taken up the music director role at Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and was the Principal Conductor of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra from 2007 to 2025.

So, are his talents limited to the baton? Well, in short, no. Outside of his conducting prowess, Harding is a licensed airline pilot. Once upon a time he had announced intention to step back from his career in music and step into a role as a commercial pilot. Though this ambition was initially grounded by the pandemic and lockdown restrictions, in recent years he has piloted hundreds of flights with Air France alongside his conducting engagements.

Perhaps we are all the better for it, The New York Times, in 2025, quoted his old boss Sir Simon Rattle as saying, ‘Flying has given him a centre, a balance to his music. It has made him a better musician and a much calmer person.’

So, whether thousands of feet above the ground, or with his feet firmly in the conductor’s podium, Daniel Harding has led a very impressive life. A glimpse of that will be lighting up the Sheldonian Theatre with the OPO in June.

We’d love to welcome you on June 11th, doors at 18:30. Find tickets for Daniel Harding Conducts on our website here.

Cover photo by Polly Brown.

Join us for an unforgettable performance as the acclaimed conductor Daniel Harding leads the Orchestra in a programme that promises to blend musical depth with dramatic flair. Harding, known for his dynamic interpretations, brings fresh energy to this prestigious ensemble, creating a perfect fusion of talent and tradition. ‘First-rate talent’ (Cadenza NYC) Tony Siqi Yun takes to the stage for the Tchaikovsky’s iconic first piano concerto, followed by the joyful and triumphant Symphony No. 8 by Dvořák.

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