Franck Ollu

Franck Ollu is a very versatile conductor and widely acknowledged as an expert in the field of contemporary music and opera. He has a very long-established association with Ensemble Modern with whom he gives around twenty concerts a year and is Music Director of the Swedish Ensemble for New Music “KammarensembleN” in Stockholm.

The 2009/10 season and beyond includes appearances with the London Sinfonietta at Aldeburgh Festival, The Linbury Theatre, Covent Garden and two tours of Spain, Rihm’s Jagden und Formen at the Salzburg Festival with Ensemble Modern, The Rake’s Progress at Théâtre de l’Athénée, Paris, Xenakis’ The Oresteia at the Polish National Opera, several revivals of Dusapin’s “Passion” (Mr Ollu conducted the world premiere) in a new production by Sasha Waltz including Le Théatre des Champs-Elysées in Paris and assisting Pierre Boulez on a large project with Ensemble Modern Orchestra.

Mr Ollu makes his debut with Sudwestrundfunk Sinfonieorchester, conducts a new opera by Helmut Oehring “Die Wunde Heine” which he will tour with Ensemble Modern to leading European festivals including the MusikTriennale Köln.   Re-invitations to RAI Turin and Iceland Symphony follow on from his much-praised first visits.

He often works in conjunction with leading composers and has a particular affinity with the music of George Benjamin.  He conducted the world premiere of Benjamin’s opera “Into the Little Hill” at Opéra Bastille, Paris in Autumn 2006 to huge critical acclaim, followed by a tour to major festivals in Amsterdam, Vienna, New York’s Lincoln Centre Festival, Dresden, Frankfurt and Liverpool. Mr Ollu conducted the world premiere of Pascal Dusapin’s “Passion” in Summer 2008, commissioned by Aix-En-Provence Festival which continues to tour to leading European festivals including Amsterdam, Paris, Luxembourg, and Strasbourg.

Recent seasons have included three visits to London’s Philharmonia Orchestra in their new music series, concerts with the Bayerischer Rundfunk, Orquesta Nacional d’España, Orchestre National de Lyon, Helsinki Philharmonic, Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Aarhus Symphony, Orquestra Nacional do Porto and BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.  Leading contemporary music ensembles with whom he has worked include Australia’s Elision, Holland’s Asko Schönberg Ensemble and Finland’s Avanti. As a pioneer of new music, Franck Ollu has championed works by many contemporary composers including premieres or works by Helmut Lachenmann, Heiner Goebbels (his opera “Landschaft mit entfernten Verwandten”) Peter Eötvös, Brian Ferneyhough and Wolfgang Rihm. Franck Ollu was born in La Rochelle, France and studied music in Paris.

Management: Askonas Holt                                                                                Contact: louise.hynd@askonasholt.co.uk