Matthew Kofi Waldren is a conductor of mixed British and Ghanaian ancestry, who is renowned for his detailed, responsive and collaborative approach to music-making. He is a member of the City of London Sinfonia Creative Council and co-founder of Your Turn Collective which empowers music creators from backgrounds currently underrepresented in classical music. He has been nominated at the International Opera Awards and his work has received nominations at both the Olivier and Black British Theatre Awards.

As comfortable conducting major orchestras and opera companies in concert halls, recording studios and theatre pits, he has particularly established himself as a leading musical figure of the UK opera industry and is regularly re-invited by the orchestras with whom he works. He is equally as celebrated for his work on ground-breaking new collaborations as his acclaimed readings of the core operatic repertoire. Described as “one of the most adept and dynamic young British Verdians” Matthew Kofi can also be found conducting works that tell new stories and that incorporate the sound worlds of Indian Classical music, flamenco, and digital sampling into the orchestral landscape.

Recent and upcoming credits include a collaboration with London Philharmonic Orchestra conducting The Chevalier, an exploration of the life and work of Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint Georges, in partnership with Concert Theatre Works, the world premiere of Will Todd’s epic opera Migrations, described as “revolutionary operatic theatre”, for Welsh National Opera, the Welsh premiere of Golijov’s Ainadamar also for Welsh National Opera, the UK premiere of Tesori’s Blue, nominated at the Black British Theatre Awards, for English National Opera, The Pearl Fishers, both in staged and concert formats, for Opera North, Rimsky Korsakov’s The Snow Maiden for RNCM, Il barbiere di Siviglia for West Green House Opera, I due foscari for Chelsea Opera Group, and Tosca for Opera Holland Park.

Other acclaimed operatic credits include la bohème, la petite bohème, Don Giovanni (Opera North), Paul Bunyan (nominated for an Olivier Award), The Marriage of Figaro (English National Opera), Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Texting Heer (Royal Opera House Linbury Theatre), Flight, Les mamelles de Tirésias, Gianni Schicchi (RCS), L’elisir d’amore, la cenerentola (West Green House Opera), la traviata, Un ballo in maschera, la rondine, la bohème, Lakmé, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Les pêcheurs de perles, Gianni Schicchi, Zanetto, Rigoletto, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Fantastic Mr Fox (Opera Holland Park), Pelléas et Mélisande (Scottish Opera).

As a member of the CLS Creative Council, Matthew Kofi regularly conducts the City of London Sinfonia in opera and on the concert platform. Forthcoming concerts include “Perfection, of a Kind” Britten vs Auden, an exploration of the personal and artistic relationship of two artistic giants of the 20th Century music and word, and Messiah. Elsewhere on the concert platform, Matthew Kofi has conducted Chineke! Orchestra, CBSO, CBSO Chorus, Orchestra of Opera North, and Orchestra of Welsh National Opera.

In the recording studio Matthew Kofi conducted Price Symphony No 3 and Grant Still Symphony No 1 with Chineke! Orchestra, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (Signum Classics), Tom Hickox’s forthcoming album (Chineke! Strings and Onyx Brass), TFL Elizabeth Line advertisements soundtrack with Chineke! Orchestra, and la petite bohème with the Orchestra of Opera North.

Matthew Kofi is in demand as a media contributor, regularly appearing as a commentator on the future of Classical Music in the UK. He has appeared on Sky Arts, BBC Radio 3, Radio 4 and Radio 5 Live, as well as in publications such as Opera Now and The Guardian. He has also been a contributor to the prestigious Sadler Seminar Series, led by Professor Edward Venn at University of Leeds, examining ‘Race, orientalism, and authenticity in opera’.