Music Director, Fortepiano & Harpsichord

The multi-talented Ian Watson has been described by The Times in London as a “world-class soloist”, performer of “virtuosic panache” and by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung as “a conductor of formidable ability.” Ian is acclaimed in numerous performances as an operatic and symphonic conductor, period-instrument specialist and virtuoso harpsichordist, organist and pianist. In 2016, he was appointed Principal Keyboard and Associate Conductor of the Handel and Haydn Society in Boston. He is also Artistic Director of Arcadia Players Period-Instrument Orchestra, and Music Director of the Connecticut Early Music Festival, and made his debut conducting the Charlotte Symphony. Ian also holds positions in Lexington MA and St Ann’s Kennebunkport ME

Ian has appeared with most major UK orchestras and also the Polish and Stuttgart Chamber Orchestras, Bremen Philharmonic, Rhein-Main Symphony, Colorado Symphony, Komische Oper Berlin, and Darmstadt State Opera among numerous others. Mr. Watson has appeared as soloist or conductor with the London Symphony, London Philharmonic and Royal Philharmonic Orchestras, Scottish Chamber, English Chamber, Polish Chamber, Irish Chamber and Stuttgart Chamber Orchestras, Bremen Philharmonic, Rhein-Main Symphony Orchestra, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields,

Ian is featured on many film soundtracks including Amadeus, Polanski’s Death and the Maiden, Restoration, Cry the Beloved Country, Voices from A Locked Room, and the BBC‘s production of David Copperfield. In June 2018, together with violinist Susanna Ogata, the fourth and final disc of the complete set of all ten Beethoven Sonatas for Fortepiano and Violin was released. The series has received huge acclaim in major publications.