With an original score by Joby Talbot, Jonathan gave the world premiere of a new full-length ballet by Christopher Wheeldon in Melbourne with the Australian Ballet and Orchestra Victoria. Based on the life and writings of Oscar Wilde, Oscar received great critical acclaim:

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'Orchestra Victoria, under the baton of Music Director Jonathan Lo more than matched the artistic excellence displayed on stage' Arts Hub

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'Orchestra Victoria, conducted expertly by Jonathan Lo, gives full expression to Joby Talbot's score' Saturday Paper, Australia

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'Orchestra Victoria, conducted by Jonathan Lo, is front and centre... Composer Joby Talbot has created a dense and complicated score, cinematic and sprawling in scope. The Orchestra takes on the challenge wholeheartedly and it sounds fantastic' Australian Stage

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'Joby Talbot's gloriously unsettled score, and orchestra Victoria under Jonathan Lo flings open a doorway to a whole new world...' Fjord Review

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'With Orchestra Victoria in front of the stage, the music is free to soar and it sounds superb. Maestro Jonathan Lo leads a highly confident premiere performance, bringing out abundant colour and richness in the score.' Man-in-Chair.com

Jonathan made his debut with Ballett Zürich and Philharmonia Zürich with a world premiere of Cathy Marston's first full length creation for the company. The ballet 'Atonement', based on th novel by Ian McEwan, features an original score by Laura Rossi.

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Jonathan will be returning to Zurich in 2025 for the first revival.

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'Dirigent Jonathan Lo und die Philharmonia Zürich, sowie Marie-Ève Scarfone am Klavier, überzeugen durch große Präzision' Opera Magazine

 

'[Laura Rossi] hat einen von der Philharmonia Zürich unter Jonathan Lo süffig ausgekosteten Film-Soundtrack komponiert mit wabernden Streichern; knallender Pauke und lieblichem Geklingel - wobei man stets ahnt, was folgen wird.' Tagblatt News

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Jonathan began 2024 with two concerts in Cape Town, with a return invitation to the Cape Town Philharmonic since his debut with them in Prokofiev's Romeo & Juliet in 2022.

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'From the first notes, we were in theatrical territory: taught, crisp, controlled and absolutely dramatic... This seemed to define Jonathan Lo’s approach to music-making: get to the emotion of the musical statement, have your say, and get on with it, agile and without misunderstanding the intent.' - Weekend Special on Don Giovanni

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This kind of pacing and planning of detail, puts Jonathan Lo in a musical class of his own: you could go from an intimate piece of chamber music, a duet between a cello and a horn perhaps, to an entire orchestra in full sail, while still keeping the roundness of sound only possible when the pedal isn’t being pushed flat out to the metal.' - Weekend Special on Scheherazade

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'Jonathan Lo has certainly become one of Cape Town’s favourite conductors. And deservedly so.' - Weekend Special

'...with music director Jonathan Lo at the helm. Opening night heard a bold, dynamic reading of Tchaikovsky's score. It was wonderful to hear so many fresh details emerge from such well-known music. Everything old was new again.' - The Australian

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'Tchaikovsky's sublime music is played with vigour and conviction by Orchestra Victoria under the baton of Jonathan Lo.' - The Guardian

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'Music Director Jonathan Lo set a pace and balance that allowed all the orchestral colours to shine and the contrasts, as on stage, to resonate thanks to the expertise within Orchestra Victoria' - Arts Review Australia

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'Orchestra Victoria played beautifully under new Music Director and Chief Conductor Jonathan Lo. A sense of adept delicacy and confidence emnanated from the ensemble, fully focused it seemed on embracing us in the full colours of Tchaikovsky's score.' Classic Melbourne

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'The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, led by conductor Jonathan Lo, breathes new life into the immortal score by Tchaikovsky.' - Stage Whispers

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In his final performances as Music Director of Northern Ballet, Jonathan garnered critical praise for his conducting of David Nixon's The Great Gatsby, with music by Richard Rodney Bennett. In the same period, Jonathan conducted performances of Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty for the Royal Ballet, with the latter live streamed to cinemas across the world.

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'Jonathan Lo conducted the Northern Ballet Sinfonia with his customary aplomb (surely there is more than one of him since he appears to be conducting everywhere all at once ,these days)!' Bachtrack

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'Finally, kudos to Jonathan Lo who led the splendid orchestra through a brisk, nuanced and exquisitely played account of Tchaikovsky's rich and varied score. Lo never sounded as if he ever held back at the big moments or - while always sensitive to their needs - suggested he indulged his dancers.' Seen and Heard International

Jonathan conducts his first performance as the Australian Ballet's Music Director in the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in front of an audience of 7000. Accompanied by Orchestra Victoria, the company performed an eclectic mix of repertoire in a gala that launched the 60th anniversary season.

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'Orchestra Victoria sounded formidable under the baton of newly appointed company music director Jonathan Lo' The Age

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'It was a delight to watch Lo conduct the 64-piece orchestra. His expressive body seemed to organically transfer the score's shifting emotional landscape to the musicians' Artshub Australia

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'Orchestra Victoria was in fabulous form under Jonathan Lo... Lo has a very articulate and quite balletic conducting style and made a great first impression' Dance Australia

The critics have lavished praise on Jonathan's Australian debut, conducting the Orchestra Victoria in John Cranko's Romeo & Juliet for the Australian Ballet.

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'Under the wonderfully assured baton of conductor Jonathan Lo... the orchestra play with such suppleness and control, you almost will the curtain to stay down just so you can listen harder.' The Guardian

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'Carrying the work... is Sergei Prokofiev's monumental score, superbly realised by Orchestra Victoria under conductor Jonathan Lo.' Limelight Magazine

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'Guest conductor Jonathan Lo helms Orchestra Victoria in a finely detailed musical performance that would readily stand alone as a concert hall attraction'

Man in a Chair

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'Orchestra Victoria, with guest conductor Jonathan Lo at the helm, gave a stupendous reading of the score's vivid evocation... Lo's direction of this endlessly rich score was brilliantly on point.' Deborah Jones

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'Ook Het Balletorkest onder leiding van Jonathan Lo blaast de juiste ademteugen in de muzikalieteit van Van Manens choreografieën...

[The Het BalletOrkest conducted by Jonathan Lo, breathes the right breaths into the musicality of van Manen's choreographies...]' de Volkskrant

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Jonathan was the conductor for the national tour and the Amsterdam festival of Dutch National Ballet's 'Hans van Manen at 90' celebrations. In addtion, he shared the podium with music director Matthew Rowe, celebrating the company's 60th anniversary in the end of season gala in the Musiktheater, Amsterdam. 

'Christopher Wheeldon's DGV: Danse à grande vitesse (2006) is alluring and mysterious. The piece is set to Michael Nyman's propulsive MGV (Musique à Grande Vitesse)... and here conducted with great excitement by Jonathan Lo' - Debra Caine, The Times

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'Wheeldon's DGV... is an outstanding example of integrated creativity in which all the artistic eleemnts - choreography, music, design and lighting - add up to something more than the sum of their parts... Jonathan Lo conducted the orchestra with the intensity that Nyman's music demands.' - Graham Watts, Bachtrack

Jonathan was delighted to be invited by Ensemble Productions to conduct the English National Philharmonic for the prestigious Ballet Icons Gala. Collaborating with some of the world's biggest ballet stars, the evening was also Jonathan's debut at the London Coliseum, with repertoire drawn from popular ballet gala favourites such as Giselle, Don Quixote, Paquita, Sleeping Beauty and Le Corsaire.

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In other news, Jonathan is thrilled to confirm further performances in the first part of 2022, including the addition of DGV for the Royal Ballet, a tour of the Netherlands with Dutch National Ballet & Het BalletOrkest, and appearances at the Hans van Manen Festival Celebration in Amsterdam.

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Pictured in rehearsals at the London Coliseum by Kristyna Kashivili

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As music director of Northern Ballet, Jonathan was on the podium for their performances of Dangerous Liaisons and Swan Lake as the company's curtailed season comes to a close.

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Dance Europe writes of Swan Lake:

'The tempi, under the baton of the estimable Jonathan Lo, are thrillingly appropriate and the Northern Ballet Sinfonia play excitingly.'

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The Reviews Hub writes of Swan Lake:

'The magical symbolism at work here is truly profound and matched idyllically by Tchaikovsky's sensational and touchingly familiar score. The music is under Jonathan Lo's masterful control with the Northern Ballet Sinfonia in fine form.'

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The Ilkley Gazette writes of Swan Lake:

'Jonathan Lo conducts a translucent account of Tchaikovsky's great musical score...'

Jonathan has made a return to the podium since the start of the pandemic conducting the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden for a gala performance by the Royal Ballet. This performance marks a historic occasion when the company returned to the stage for the first time since the lockdown, and has garnered critical reviews:

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'The Dancers and the orchestra under Jonathan Lo are rarely less than sublime' - The Stage

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'Handsomely conducted' - The Independent

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'...(his) instinctive understanding of dance tempi is a deeply satisfying aspect of BRB and Northern Ballet performances. Here, with the Royal Ballet, he raises the bar...' - Mike Dixon Dance Europe

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'The orchestra - spiritedly conducted by Jonathan Lo - played some diverse music very well indeed...' - Seen and Heard International

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'Throughout, the orchestra excel and hearing them is a treat... Here, Lo is a guide and translator for the dancers...' - Northwestend.com

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Jonathan started the new decade with a Gala performance celebrating Northern Ballet's 50th anniversary, conducting the Northern Ballet Sinfonia playing live for guests including principals from the Royal Ballet, English National Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet & Joffrey Ballet. This was followed by the first orchestral concert of 2020 with the Haffner Orchestra. 

 

'Everything was expertly accompanied by Northern Ballet's in-house orchestra under the baton of Jonathan Lo. A suitably grand event.'

- Donald Hutera, The Times, Northern Ballet 50th anniversary gala

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'Jonathan Lo, the fantastic passionate and supremely encouraging conductor... another excellent evening with the Haffner Orchestra'

- Siobhan Tough, Lancaster Guardian, Haffner Orchestra February Concert

After a successful run of performances conducting the London Sinfonietta in Royal Ballet's first production in the Linbury Theatre, Royal Opera House ('The musical resources - in the shape of the London Sinfonietta, conducted by Jonathan Lo - are fantastic' Debra Craine in The Times), Jonathan has been invited to step in to conduct Within the Golden Hour and Flight Pattern for the Royal Ballet. This programme will be live in cinemas around the world on the 16th May 2019.

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More details can be found here:

https://www.roh.org.uk/mixed-programmes/within-the-golden-hour-new-sidi-larbi-cherkaoui-flight-pattern

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Season 2018-2019 sees Jonathan returning to Birmingham Royal Ballet for La Fille mal Gardeé, The King Dances and Hobson's Choice, and to Scottish Ballet for Cinderella. He will also make his debut with Northern Ballet with the world premiere performances of Victoria.

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In addition to his performances in his position as Principal Guest Conductor of the Xi'an Symphony Orcehstra and his regular schedule of concerts in the UK, Jonathan will begin his formal association with the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden as a Jette Parker Young Artist. He will be serving on the conducting staff primarily for the Royal Ballet in this capacity.

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Photo by Amy Botly

https://en-gb.facebook.com/AmyMimBotlyPhotography/

'Conductor Jonathan Lo enabled [Yuuki Bouterey-Ishido's (cello soloist)] strong tones not to be engulfed by the orchestra, and the song-like tunes, rhythmic accompaniment by the orchestra and the swooping scales... were both moving and exhilarating.'

 

'The Haffner, with Jonathan Lo in charge, were up to the challenge (Schubert's 9th Symphony). It was an impressive and very enjoyable performance'

 

Lancashire Guardian, June 2018

As well as the normal schedule of concerts, and in addition to returning to Birmingham Royal Ballet for Nutcracker, a contemporary double bill and La Fille ma Gardee, Jonathan is looking forward to making his debut with Scottish Ballet in a revival of Matthew Bourne's Highland Fling. 

 

https://www.scottishballet.co.uk/event/highland-fling

Jonathan returned to the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra with the Australian Ballet for a revival of Balancehine's Jewels. With music by Faure (Pelleas and Melisande, Shylock), Stravinsky (Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra) and Tchaikovsky (Symphony No. 3), below are quotations from reviews:

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'The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Jonathan Lo, are to be congratulated for executing three complete different styles of music to perfection.' Stage Whispers, Australia

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The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra was superb under the baton of Jonathan Lo' Glam Adelaide

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In what is the final run of performances in Melbourne's State Theatre before its closing for refurbishment, Jonathan conducts the Australian revival of Christopher Wheeldon's classic Alice's Adventures in Wonderland for the Australian Ballet and with Orchestra Victoria. Reviews below:

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'The show's greatest strength, however, is the original score by Joby Talbot, which now sounds like an orchestral classics. It's the scope and grandeur of the music that binds this episodic production together and creates unity out of diversity.' The Age

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'The orchestra is phenomenal, led by music director Jonathan Lo who gives precision and grandeur. The music itself allows for the greatest of stories.' The Theatre Review, Australia

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'And the music! Joby Talbot's ravishing and playful, history-spanning filmic score... is instrumental in the production's success. Orchestra Victoria are a deserved hit with conductor Jonathan Lo in confident command.' - Arts Review, Australia
 

'Maestro Jonathan Lo conducts the redoubtable Orchestra Victoria in a suitably splendiferous performance, expressively bringing out all manner of colourful highlights.' Man in Chair

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'Thomas Adès's fantastically coloured score, here conducted by Jonathan Lo, sounds even more intriguing, atmospheric and grandly emotive than it did the first time around' Debra Craine, The Times

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Jonathan returned to the Royal Opera House to conduct the first revival of the Dante Project since its premiere in 2021. Here's what some of the critics said:

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'Adès's astonishing score - dashingly conducted by Jonathan Lo - opens in clamour and dark romantic torment' The Standard

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'Conductor Jonathan Lo delivered the score beautifully. His evanescent pianissimos fade into nothing like snowflakes in spring' London Unattached

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'a score that is by turns energetic, lyrical, vaudevillian, ascetic and finally revelatory, and always engrossing... the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House is conducted with huge flair by Jonathan Lo' Culture Whisper

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'...under the baton of Jonathan Lo. The orchestra pit was truly alive as their performance carried the dancers through darkness, suspension and, finally, ascension.' Gramilano

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Picture by Andrej Uspenski 

The Australian Ballet marks its return to the Royal Opera House after 35 years with performances of Balanchine's Jewels and a special 60th anniversary gala. Jonathan, conducting the Royal Ballet Sinfonia, garnered critical praise for his conducting on this tour:

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'The Royal Ballet Sinfonia under the baton of Jonathan Lo, currently the most versatile ballet conductor in the world, produces sumptuous tones, a rich soaring sound that lifts the spirits contrasted with acute musical sensitivity to delicate passages.' Dance Europe

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'The Royal Ballet Sinfonia are on top form under Australian Ballet's musical director Jonathan Lo. Their opening chords of Emeralds are played with sublime delicacy...' The Guardian

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'The music here... wonderfully played by the Royal Ballet Sinfonia under Jonathan Lo' Bachtrack

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Jonathan marks his mainstage debut as Music Director of the Australian Ballet with Nureyev's Don Quixote in the Arts Centre Melbourne. 

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The Guardian writes: 'Minkus's score is wonderfully variegated and richly melodic, played by Orchestra Victoria under the baton of Jonathan Lo with sensitivty and passion'. The Australian Arts Review comments that the score was 'generously conducted by new Musical Director and Chief Conductor Jonathan Lo, providing a musical platform for the dancers to shine'. Furthermore, the online arts review blog Man in Chair reviews that 'the Australian Ballet's new music director Jonathan Lo makes the strongest possible impression, leading Orchestra Victoria in a sumptuous performance of Minkus melodious score...'

Following on from his critically acclaimed debut with the Australian Ballet, Jonathan was appointed Music Director of the company, succeeding Nicolette Fraillon AM in 2023. 

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The Australian Ballet’s Artistic Director David Hallberg said: ​“It is undeniable that ballet and music are symbiotic; without music, ballet does not exist. The role of Music Director is integral to our success, and I am thrilled to welcome Jonathan to this vital position. Jonathan’s exceptional talent and enthusiasm for our artform will ensure the musicians in the pit and dancers on stage continue to deliver performances of the highest quality. I personally look forward to welcoming Jonathan as a creative partner, and to working together as The Australian Ballet enters its next exciting chapter.”

'The orchestra is a knockout... There is a seamless synchronisation between the dance and music... It is magical to experience the Cape Town Philharmonic and the magnetic Jonathan Lo. The energy of the orchestra and the vitality of the dancers is breathtaking.' The Cape Robyn

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'Under the cohesive baton of conductor Jonathan Lo, musicians of the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra provide sterling accompaniment with due respect for tempi to do justice to Prokofiev's delectable score.' Weekend Specials SA

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In August 2022, Jonathan made an acclaimed debut with Cape Town City Ballet and the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra in Veronica Paeper's Romeo & Juliet and Frederick Ashton's Les Patineurs.

Jonathan is delighted to sign with the world renowned classical music agency Harrison & Parrot, joining other world class dancers, artists and creatives in their newly created Dance Division.

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Further information can be found here:

https://www.harrisonparrott.com/news/2022-04-29/harrisonparrott-is-delighted-to-launch-its-new-dance-division-on

Jonathan's recent run of The Nutcracker and Romeo & Juliet with the Royal Ballet, Covent Garden has garnered critical and audience acclaim:

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'[Jonathan] gets the best from the musicians without overriding the needs of the stage production and the dancers; Tchaikovsky's music is in many ways the most important feature of this ballet and Lo does him proud.' Dance Europe

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'The beautiful phrasing and nuanced detail in the dynamics from both dancers and musicians under Jonathan Lo was astounding, and the orchestra must have been on such a high post-performance.' Clare Varney, The Spidy Editor, Netherlands

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'The Royal Ballet remained stimulated and totally engaged with the work from the first performance to the last. The same can be said of the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, playing for conductor Jonathan Lo.' Jonathan Gray, Dance Europe

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The music of Grant Olding for Drew McOnie's ballet, Merlin, has been picking up critical praise on its world premiere run so far:

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'Grant Olding's music, which is played with gusto by the Northern Ballet Sinfonia, shares with the choreography an imitative impulse, with sound matched to action so directly as to be almost onomatopoeic.' - The Telegraph

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'The original music from the prolific theatre composer Grand Olding... soared with instant enjoyment and memorable descriptive passages... conducted with admirable pace and clarity by Jonathan Lo' - DanceTabs

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'Grand Olding's original score is a great addition to the ballet music repertoire... Conductor Jonathan Lo ensured that the Northern Ballet Sinfonia played like angels throughout.' - Reviews Gate

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'The Northern Ballet Sinfonia... conducted by Jonathan Lo... were simply superb' - Nottingham Live

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'Grant Olding's music fits the dance perfectly... The Northern Ballet Sinfonia were as superb as always' - Seeing Dance

Jonathan garnered further critical acclaim as he led Northern Ballet Sinfonia in Northern Ballet's programmes of Iconic Classics, 20 years of David Nixon and Dangerous Liaisons in October 2020. He was also on the podium for the Royal Ballet's November 2020 programmes, with repertoire including Within the Golden Hour, and excerpts from Le Corsaire, Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux and Monotones.

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'...ably supported by the playing of Northern Ballet Sinfonia under the intelligent baton of Jonathan Lo, who is swiftly developing into a truly outstanding ballet conductor.' - Mike Dixon, Dance Europe

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'Jonathan Lo's conducting was a gift to the dancers: sensitive and supportive without being too obvious' - Amanda Jennings, Dance Europe

'Under the baton of Jonathan Lo, the Northern Ballet Sinfonia has a crucial role in this production.'

- Yorkshire Times

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'The Northern Ballet Sinfonia's musical excellence, performing live, was much appreciated'

- Leedsliving.co.uk

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'...a seamlessly artful score from the film composer Alexandra Harwood' - the Times

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'Ambitious and accomplished' - Daily Telegraph

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'a team piece... alchemises design, story, music and dance into high drama' - The Guardian

Northern Ballet has appointed Jonathan Lo as the Company’s new Music Director. He will replace outgoing Music Director John Pryce-Jones who has retired after 27 years with Northern Ballet. Lo will take up his permanent position this summer, joining in time to lead the music department for Northern Ballet’s 50th anniversary.

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Full Press Release Here:

https://northernballet.com/media-releases/2019-06-20/northern-ballet-appoints-new-music-director

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Jonathan is thrilled to have been invited to conduct for the Royal Ballet's first appearance in the newly-refurbished Linbury Theatre, performing five premieres to contemporary music played live by the London Sinfonietta.

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More details can be found here:

https://www.roh.org.uk/productions/new-work-new-music-by-various

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and here...

http://www.londonsinfonietta.org.uk/whats-on/new-work-new-music

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Jonathan recently made his debut with the BBC Philharmonic in a concert at Manchester's Stoller Hall. Entitled Scoring Fear, this concert was a part of the Manchester Gothic Festival, focusing on the relationship between music and gothic horror movies. This was recorded for BBC Radio 3's Sound of Cinema series and will be broadcast on the 18th August, 2018.

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Photo by Sara Porter

www.saraporterphotography.co.uk

‘Jonathan Lo and the Xi’an Symphony Orchestra brought 

the invention and the concept of the music clearly to life with such transparency...

music making that is both technically impressive and passionately expressive.’

Musical Times, China

Rachmaninoff Symphony No. 2 & Beethoven Symphony No. 1

 

 

'Fine Meeting of musical talents... the whole performance was a delight'

Lancashire Guardian, Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1 with Martin Roscoe

Jonathan is thrilled to begin his tenure as Music Director of the Haffner Orchestra in Lancaster. A community event on the 14th October will be followed by the first concert on the 11th November, featuring Gina McCormack playing Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto, as well as Mendelssohn's Scottish Symphony

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Photo by: Roger Kempf, Haffner Orchestra