Renowned world-wide for his artistry, Sir Mark Elder CBE is Music Director of the Hallé, and regularly works with the world’s leading symphony orchestras and international opera houses. He also holds the position of Principal Guest Conductor of the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2017, he was made a Companion of Honour for his long-standing contributions to the arts – an award shared only by 65 members.

Since Elder’s tenure with the Hallé commenced in 2000, the orchestra has been recognised with a number of awards, including several BBC Music Magazine Awards, Gramophone Awards and they were recently awarded the 2018 South Bank Sky Arts Award for Classical Music. Elder was also recognised for his work with Opera Rara, where he was Artistic Director in 2011–2019; his recording of Donizetti’s Les Martyrs won the award for best CD (Complete Opera) at the 2016 International Opera Awards. In 1991, he won an Olivier Award for his outstanding work at English National Opera (where he was Music Director 1979-1993) and in 2011 he was awarded Honorary Membership of the Royal Philharmonic Society.