/* */
Anthony Weeden - Conductor and Orchestrator

Photography by Giogia Bertazzi © 2012

Anthony Weeden - Condutor and Orchestrator

BIOGRAPHY

Anthony has established an outstanding career as an orchestral conductor and orchestrator with a keen desire to step beyond traditional musical boundaries. His vast repertoire, ability to work in diverse musical styles and genres, and friendly character make him frequently in demand with orchestras and ensembles around the world. Anthony’s award-winning work for the film and TV industry, which includes Golden Globe, Academy Award, and BAFTA wins and nominations, demonstrates why leading composers and orchestras, both in the film and classical music industries, consistently choose to work with him.

Anthony has collaborated with numerous innovative artists such as composers Jóhann Jóhannsson, Michael Giacchino, Christophe Beck, David Buckley, Peter Gregson, Bear McCreary, Tarik O'Regan, Junkie XL, David Arnold, Michael Price, Mica Levi, Stuart MacRae, Django Bates, Stephen Emmer, and Gabriel Prokofiev; singer-songwriters David Byrne, Anna Calvi and Antony & The Johnsons; pianists Joanna MacGregor and Ben Schoeman; bassist-vocalist Richard Bona; guitarist Gary Lucas; vocalists Oleta Adams and Nona Hendryx; saxophonist Jean-Yves Fourmeau; Norwegian experimental jazz band Jaga Jazzist; mezzo soprano Clare Presland; jazz trumpeter Matthias Schriefl; artist/writer Tamarin Norwood; and poet/rapper Kate Tempest.

Anthony has worked with international orchestras such as Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Metropole Orkest, South Denmark Philharmonic, Duisburger Philharmoniker, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Heritage Orchestra, Greek National Opera, Orchestre National d'Île-de-France, Orchestre de L'Opera de Lyon, RTE National Symphony Orchestra, Novaya Opera Orchestra, Philharmonia Istanbul, Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra, Joensuu City Orchestra, Trondheim Soloists, Twentieth Century Orchestra, Sinfonietta de Lisboa, London Metropolitan Orchestra and Budapest Art Orchestra. He also regularly works with all the main UK orchestras including the Philharmonia Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, and Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Some of his recent film credits include conducting for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023), The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022), and Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), as well as orchestrating and conducting for The Sandman (Netflix, 2022) and orchestrating for Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (2022).

Growing up on the North East coast of England, Anthony was immersed in the brass band traditions of the region as a cornet player, before studying trumpet and composition at the Royal Academy of Music, Junior Academy until he was 18. He graduated from the University of Durham with a BA Hons degree in Music, specialising in composition, and continued his studies in orchestral conducting at the Royal College of Music, and worked as assistant conductor to renowned conductors Lorin Maazel and Daniele Gatti. He won the August Manns prize for conducting two years consecutively at the Royal College of Music and was the first-ever winner of the Norman Del Mar Conducting Prize in 1999. In 2014, Anthony was awarded an Honorary Associate of the Royal Academy of Music, London.

CONDUCTOR

Anthony’s versatility as a conductor has taken him across the world to many different orchestras, where he has helped create new audiences, strengthen connections with communities, and form lasting relationships with solo artists, frequently returning as a guest conductor. Here are some recent highlights:

Working together for the first time since winning a Golden Globe for the Best Original Score for The Theory of Everything, in February 2015 Anthony conducted Jóhann Jóhannsson’s score to Sicario (a Lionsgate film starring Emily Blunt and Josh Brolin directed by Denis Villeneuve), recording at East Connection Studios in Budapest with the Budapest Art Orchestra. Sicario was been officially selected for the 2015 Cannes Film Festival and is currently playing in cinemas worldwide.

December 2014 saw Anthony return to conduct the Heritage Orchestra in a concert with Mercury Prize nominated singer and guitarist Anna Calvi. The concert, held in St John at Hackney Church, London, was sold out and received a rave 5 star review from The Times. Anthony and the Heritage Orchestra orchestra have worked together on many projects previously, including an extraordinary performance with Antony & the Johnsons at the Givenchy 2014 Autumn/Winter Womenswear fashion show in Paris.

In August 2014, Anthony created and presented a programme for a huge collaborative project with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, jazz singer Barb Jungr, folk band Head of Snakes and a community choir from Corby, Northamptonshire. Anthony conducted the performance with repertoire ranging from Mendelssohn, Mussorgsky and Mosolov to brand new folk rock songs written by Barb Jungr and members of her band, orchestrated by Anthony.

Following several projects with the Grammy award winning Metropole Orkest in the Netherlands over the last few years, Anthony’s relationship with the orchestra continues to evolve in 2015 with an action-packed film music project. Programme to be announced.

Anthony has been involved in the bringing together of an exciting new chamber orchestra - Cantia Quorum - now orchestra-in-residence at the University of Kent. He conducted the orchestra’s debut performance in the historic city of Canterbury with Stravinsky’s The Soldier's Tale and Walton’s Façade, in November 2014.

A spectacular performance of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite in December 2014 was conducted by Anthony to a capacity audience at the Duke’s Hall, Royal Academy of Music with the Junior Academy Sinfonia, followed by a highly praised performance of Debussy’s Nocturnes and excerpts from Wagner’s Lohengrin in March 2015. This summer they will be performing together Mahler’s Totenfeier (an early version of the 1st movement from Symphony no. 2).

An incredibly successful performance in November 2013 with Anthony’s longtime collaborator jazz musician Django Bates and the South Denmark Philharmonic, Anthony’s debut with the Danish orchestra which included several world premieres, has been followed up with a return invitation to work with the orchestra; this time for an innovative project with one of London’s most prolific Drum n Bass Dj's, DJ Scanner, in a fascinating re-working of Nielson’s 6th Symphony.

Anthony toured with Antony & the Johnsons in 2012 conducting orchestras across the world from Moscow to Melbourne via many of Europe’s finest music festivals and venues.

Download Anthony's current repertoire list.

VIDEO

AUDIO



SELECTED RECENT & UPCOMING EVENTS

Aug 19th, 2016 - Danish National Symphony Orchestra, DR koncerthuset, Copenhagen, Denmark. Broadcast live on Danish Radio and TV

May 27th, 2016 - Krakow Film Music Festival, Krakow, Poland with composer Jóhann Jóhannsson

May 27th, 2016 - Krakow Film Music Festival, Krakow, Poland with composer Jóhann Jóhannsson

March 29th-31st, 2016 - Story Of Your Life film score recording at Smecky Studios, Prague, Czech Republic with composer Jóhann Jóhannsson

November 20th-21st, 2015 - Sønderjyllands Symfoniorkester, Concerthall Alsion, Sønderborg, Denmark @ DEFINE Festival with DJ Scanner

March 21st, 2015 - Junior Academy Sinfonia, Duke's Hall, Royal Academy of Music, London, UK

February 16th-18th, 2015 - Sicario film score recording at East Connection Studios, Budapest, Hungary with composer Jóhann Jóhannsson

December 13th, 2014 - Heritage Orchestra, St John's Church, Hackney, London, UK with Anna Calvi

November 29th, 2014 - Junior Academy Sinfonia, Duke's Hall, Royal Academy of Music, London, UK performing The Nutcracker Suite by Tchaikovsky

November 14th, 2014 - Cantia Quorum, Colyer-Fergusson Hall, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK performing The Soldier's Tale by Igor Stravinsky and Façade by William Walton

August 23rd, 2014 - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Corby, Northamptonshire, UK

May 9th, 2014 - Suite Française film score recording at Abbey Road Studios, London, UK with Rael Jones

May 9th, 2014 - The Theory of Everything film score recording at Abbey Road Studios, London, UK with Jóhann Jóhannsson

February 8th, 2014 - Wolsey Orchestra, The Apex, Bury St Edmunds, UK

November 23rd, 2013 - Sønderjyllands Symfoniorkester, Concerthall Alsion, Sønderborg, Denmark with Django Bates

October 18th, 2013 - Another Me film score recording at Abbey Road Studios, London, UK with Michael Price

September 21st, 2013 - Metropole Orchestra, Utrecht, Netherlands in the Treaty of Utrecht 300 year anniversary closing concert "Sound of Freedom"

July 4th, 2013 - Thessaloniki City Orchestra, Thessaloniki Concert Hall, Greece

May 25th, 2013 - Metropole Orchestra Hoofddorp, Netherlands @ Meer Jazz Festival with Richard Bona

April 25th, 2013 - Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance Sinfonia, Blackheath Concert Halls, London, UK performing a selection of classic Film & TV music from the last 100 years

April 13th, 2013 - Metropole Orchestra, Utrecht, Netherlands with Tom Holkenborg (Junkie XL) in the Treaty of Utrecht 300 year anniversary launch concert

March 9th, 2013 - Junior Academy Sinfonia, Duke's Hall, Royal Academy of Music, London, UK

March 3rd, 2013 - Heritage Orchestra, Paris, France @ Givenchy Autumn/Winter Womenswear Fashion Show with Antony & the Johnsons

February 17th, 2013 - Metropole Orchestra, Paradiso, Amsterdam, Netherlands with Gary Lucas, Nona Hendryx and Jolene Grunberg in "The World of Captain Beefheart" show

October 12th & 13th, 2012 - Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Hammer Hall, Melbourne, Australia @ Melbourne Festival with Antony & the Johnsons

August 3rd, 2012 - Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Stockholm, Sweden @ Stockholm Music and Arts Festival with Antony & the Johnsons

July 28th, 2012 - 21st Century Symphony Orchestra, Lucern, Switzerland @ Blue Balls Festival with Antony & the Johnsons

July 25th, 2012 - Sinfonietta de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal @ Cascais Music Festival with Antony & the Johnsons

July 22nd, 2012 - Et Incarnatus Orkestra, San Sebastian, Spain @ Jazzaldia Festival with Antony & the Johnsons

July 19th, 2012 - Trondheim Solistene, Molde, Norway @ Molde Jazz Festival with Antony & the Johnsons

July 15th, 2012 - Joensuu City Orchestra, Joensuu, Finland @ Ilosaarirock Festival with Antony & the Johnsons

July 13th, 2012 - Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra, Ostrawa, Czech Republic @ Colours of Ostrava Festival with Antony & the Johnsons

July 11th, 2012 - Metropole Orchestra, Ghent, Belgium @ Gent Jazz Festival with Antony & the Johnsons

July 9th, 2012 - Filarmonia İstanbul, Harbiye Cemil Topuzlu Open Air Theatre, Istanbul, Turkey with Antony & the Johnsons

July 6th, 2012 - Orchestre de L'Opera de Lyon, Théâtre Antique de Fourvière, Lyon, France with Antony & the Johnsons

July 3rd, 2012 - L'Orchestre National d'Ile de France, Salle Pleyel, Paris, France with Antony & the Johnsons

June 5th, 2012 - Metropole Orchestra, Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Holland Festival with Antony & the Johnsons

June 2nd, 2012 - Novaya Opera Orchestra, Moscow, Russia @ Ahmad Tea Festival with Antony & the Johnsons

May 10th, 2012 - Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance Sinfonia, Blackheath Concert Halls, London, UK

April 20th, 2012 - Metropole Orchestra, RAI Exhibition and Convention Centre, Amsterdam, Netherlands

ORCHESTRATOR

As a busy orchestrator for the film & TV industry as well as for composers of concert music, Anthony works particularly closely with composers Jóhann Jóhannsson (Theory of Everything), Tarik O'Regan, Michael Price & David Arnold (Sherlock), Rael Jones (Suite Francaise), Peter Gregson (A little Chaos) and Gabriel Prokofiev. Here are some recent highlights:

In January 2015, the music for the widely acclaimed film Theory of Everything (starring Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones), orchestrated and conducted by Anthony and recorded at the legendary Abbey Road Studios, won a Golden Globe for Best Original Score and nominations for an Oscar and BAFTA in the same category. This score was the product of a first time collaboration with Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson, and Anthony has now arranged a piano book of music from the film, published by Hal Leonard, to be released shortly. In February 2015 Anthony also orchestrated and conducted Jóhann Jóhannsson’s score to Sicario (a Lionsgate film starring Emily Blunt and Josh Brolin directed by Denis Villeneuve), recording at East Connection Studios in Budapest with the Budapest Art Orchestra. Sicario was officially selected for the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, and is now in cinemas across the world.

Released in 2014, Suite Française, a Weinstein company / BBC Films feature starring Michelle Williams, Kristen Scott Thomas and Sam Riley, directed by Saul Dibb. Based on the novels by Iréne Némirovsky, the story is set in France during the German occupation.  Anthony orchestrated and conducted this wonderfully evocative and romantic score by Rael Jones.

Future orchestration projects include Anthony’s continual work on the Emmy award winning music for BBC TV series Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman), orchestrating Michael Price and David Arnold’s score, with a Christmas special episode due in 2015 and series 4 later. The Sherlock Suite for Orchestra, arranged and orchestrated by Anthony, has now received many performances; at The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Festival Hall, London with the Philharmonia Orchestra, The Queen Elizabeth Hall, London with The London Philharmonic Orchestra, and as far afield as Singapore, with many more performances promised in the near future, including a BBC recording and broadcast. Later in 2015, Anthony will also be working on a brand new 10-part series for ITV. Visit Anthony’s page on IMDB.com for more details of his work in film and TV including Doctor Who, Another Me (Sophie Turner), The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (Sean Connery), The Inbetweeners 2, Wild Target (Bill Nighy, Emily Blunt, Rupert Grint), Horrid Henry (Richard E. Grant, Angelica Houston), Cheerful Weather for the Wedding, Kula Shaker frontman Crispian Mills' directorial debut A Fantastic Fear of Everything (Simon Pegg) and ITV's Lightfields.

Anthony also regularly works with composers outside of the film industry, orchestrating and often expanding their works for the concert hall. In 2012 he orchestrated an orchestral suite from Tarik O’Regan's opera Heart of Darkness, which has recently been performed by both the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (Samuel West as narrator) and BBC National Orchestra of Wales (Simon Callow as narrator), and broadcast on BBC Radio 3. Following this success, Tarik engaged Anthony to orchestrate an showpiece for amplified oud and orchestra Corsair, premiered by the Holland Symfonia at the 2014 Souk festival in the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam.

VIDEO



AUDIO




Gallery

Click here to download full resolution images

Contact

You can contact Anthony by email.

Photography by Giogia Bertazzi © 2012