Some conductors--or, for that matter, orchestras--have commitment issues. Not so Sir Mark Elder, one of the U.K.'s most successful maestros. His tenure leading English National Opera (the so-called "powerhouse" regime alongside Peter Jonas and David Poutney) lasted for some 14 years. And now, he has signed a contract extension with the Hallé Orchestra that will keep him at the helm of the Manchester-based ensemble until at least 2020.
There will be few interested parties in Manchester, or indeed the U.K., who will not welcome the news. Elder is credited with driving the Hallé onward to ever-greater standards of orchestral excellence. He has mirrored that success with the reception given to their live recordings on the orchestra's in-house label, which have collected awards seemingly at will. And in a riposte to the received wisdom that the U.K.'s orchestral life is exclusively London-centric, the Hallé have flourished alongside a BBC Philharmonic and Manchester Camerata, all in fine fettle to make Manchester as strong musically as most cities in Europe.
Elder has combined his Hallé duties with regular guest conducting stints, including regular outings at the Royal Opera. He has sometimes been touted as a possible successor to music director Sir Antonio Pappano were he ever to leave Covent Garden. Next season in Manchester, apt enough, will include a Richard Strauss survey.
