LONDON SINFONIETTA - 12.10.2026

Budapest, Hungary

TRANSYLVANIA STATE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA - 13.11.2026

Cluj, Romania

ENSEMBLE OFFSPRING - 9.4.2027

Sydney, Australia

Toby Thatcher is an Australian/British conductor.

His recent and immediately upcoming work includes a re-invitation by the London Sinfonietta to perform at the Steve Reich at 90 celebrations, a re-invitation by the Transylvania State Philharmonic Orchestra to perform Mozart’s Requiem, two concerts with Ensemble Modern at the Tongyeong International Music Festival, a debut at Musikverein Wien, a debut with Australia’s Ensemble Offspring, and further re invitations by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Trondheim Symfoniorkester & Opera, and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. 

He has worked with ensembles internationally including Orchestre National de France, hr-Sinfonieorchester Frankfurt, Ensemble Modern, Ensemble Intercontemporain, London Symphony Orchestra (a side-by-side project with students from the Guildhall School of Music), RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Trondheim Symfoniorkester, Slovenian Philharmonic, Sinfonietta Cracovia, Croatian Radiotelevision Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonieorchester Basel, Korean Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble Musikfabrik, Riot Ensemble, and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra.

He has also worked with ensembles internationally including Orchestre National de France, hr-Sinfonieorchester Frankfurt, Ensemble Intercontemporain, London Symphony Orchestra (a side-by-side project with students from the Guildhall School of Music), Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Slovenian Philharmonic, Orchestre national d'Île de France, Sinfonietta Cracovia, Croatian Radiotelevision Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonieorchester Basel, Korean Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble Musikfabrik, Riot Ensemble, and the Queensland Symphony Orchestra.

As a new-music specialist Toby has worked with some of the leading compositional voices of our time, including Sir George Benjamin, Unsuk Chin, Jennifer Walshe, Alex Paxton, Bára Gísladóttir & Elaine Mitchener. He has appeared at Festival Présences and the Gaudeamus Festival, and has recorded for Deutschlandfunk.

Toby held Assistant Conductor positions at, or was a guest Assistant Conductor for, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Orchestre National de France, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and Orchestre National d'Île-de-France. Between 2018-19, he was mentored by Peter Eötvös. In 2019 he was Conducting Fellow at the Cabrillo Festival, under Cristian Măcelaru.

He is a prize-winner at five international competitions, including with the hr-Sinfonieorchester Frankfurt, Trondheim Symphony Orchestra & Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra.

Toby has been invited as guest speaker by the Royal Academy of Music, University of the Arts London & the British Association of Romantic Studies. He has appeared on BBC Radio 3 & the ABC.

Toby graduated from the Royal Academy of Music with an MA in Music Performance. As an orchestral musician he performed regularly with the London Philharmonia, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, & London Sinfonietta.

PRESS

“…rich in inventiveness and energy…a pandemonium of groundbreaking musicality”
- Klassiek Centraal, on Riot Ensemble @ TRANSIT

"…it takes wonderful performers like these to make it (the music of Tōru Takemitsu) really come to life.”
- Ivan Hewett, The Telegraph

“Thatcher led…with panache, a spring in his movements.”
- Limelight Magazine

"...a deep understanding of the repertoire.”
- CutCommon

“...excellent conducting technique, authority and musicality...highly impressive.”
- David Robertson, conductor

“...a curious and passionate exponent of new music…”
- Peter Eötvös, composer/conductor

“Thatcher used an entire repertoire of body language to coax clarity and dynamics. Very impressive.”
- Robert Small, Fine Music 102.5