New Yorker Marc Feldman ran away to the circus. Sort of.
André de Ridder started a rock band in Berlin.
Now the two men are at the helm of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra Chief Executive Marc Feldman. Photo: Supplied / NZSO
Feldman took over as the orchestra's chief executive earlier this year, and although de Ridder won't officially become the orchestra's music director until 2027, he's already playing a role in programming and planning.
The two spoke with RNZ Concert's Bryan Crump about their pasts, and the NZSO's future.
Feldman began his musical life playing the bassoon, but from early on he was a frustrated orchestra administrator. He fell in love with a trapeze artist and ending up helping to run a circus in France before finding his way to musical management.
His last CEO gig before heading to New Zealand was running the Orchestre National de Bretagne in Brittany, France, a post he held for over a decade.
De Ridder grew up in West Berlin before the Wall came down, playing the violin. When his teacher told him he needed to take a little break from the instrument, he learned the guitar started a band.
While classical music is his bread and butter, he continues to collaborate with rock musicians including Damon Albarn of Blur and Gorillaz fame.
In the classical world, de Ridder has worked with a range of top orchestras including the Chicago Symphony, Helsinki Philharmonic and the BBC Symphony.
Conductor André de Ridder with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (August 2025) Photo: Latitude Creative
De Ridder is the NZSO's first music director since Edo de Waart relinquished the post in 2019. New Zealander Gemma New has been "Principal Conductor" since 2022, but the role of music director comes with more responsibility over hiring musicians and programming.
Gemma New will continue her association with the NZSO in the new role of Artistic Partner.
De Ridder's other job once he takes over as music director in 2027, will be directing music at the English National Opera in London.
He reckons he'll have no problems doing both, despite them being on the opposite sides of the world.
He argues the two jobs will complement each other with one being focused on making music in the theatre, the other in the concert hall.
Meanwhile, the NZSO is due to announce its 2026 programme next month.
Feldman wasn't giving too much away but was prepared to drop a few hints: expect a bit of West Side dancing, a titanic symphony and at least one enigma.
De Ridder will also return to conduct an epic Shostakovich symphony, "but it won't be his 5th or 10th".
The NZSO: expect something enigmatic in 2026. Photo: Latitude Creative/NZSO
