Catherine Larsen-Maguire has in recent years also conducted orchestras including the London Philharmonic, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, Mecklenburgische Statskapelle, Göttinger Symphonieorchester, Deutsches Kammerorchester Berlin, Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional de Colombia, Orquesta de Córdoba, Belgrade Philharmonic, and Orchestre de Chambre Fribourgeois. A musician’s musician, she has successfully collaborated with a diverse array of soloists in recent seasons, including Carolin Widmann, Edgar Moreau, Adam Walker, Sean Shibe, Jean Rondeau, Lucas and Arthur Jussen, Guy Johnston and Sarah Wegener.
Embracing the challenges of contemporary music and fearless about the complexity of a new score, Catherine Larsen-Maguire also works closely with living composers, and has given several world and national premieres; in 2021 she conducted the world premiere of Alexander Goehr’s ‘The Master Said’ with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. The same year, at the Musikfest Berlin, she gave the premiere of Cathy Milliken’s ‘Night Shift’ with Ensemble Modern, and a year later conducted the Scottish Ensemble, Ensemble Resonanz and the Trondheim Soloists in the premiere of Erkki-Sven Tüür’s ‘Deep Dark Shine’. She also conducted the world premiere of Gordon Kampe’s ‘Gefährliche Operette’, the American premiere of James MacMillan’s Oboe Concerto, the Spanish premiere of Joey Roukens’ ‘In Unison’ and the German premiere of Bent Sørensen’s ‘Evening Land’. In April 2025 she will conduct the Spanish premiere of Errollyn Wallen’s Violin Concerto with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia and the work’s dedicatee, Philippe Quint. Catherine Larsen-Maguire has also worked with composers including Brett Dean, Helen Grime, Charlotte Bray, Mica Levi and Michael Zev Gordon, and contemporary ensembles including Ensemble Modern, Klangforum Wien, Ensemble Musikfabrik, Ensemble Resonanz, Ensemble Ascolta and the 10/10 Ensemble of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic.
With a passion for mentoring the next generation of musicians, Catherine Larsen-Maguire places great emphasis on working with young people, both as conductor and educator. Following a highly successful series of concerts which was lauded across the Scottish press, she has been appointed the first ever Music Director of the National Youth Orchestras of Scotland for the period 2024-2026. Other Youth orchestras with which she has recently collaborated include the Young Israel Philharmonic, the Orchestra of the Luebeck Hochschule and the Underground Youth Orchestra in Athens; she has given masterclasses in Germany (University of the Arts), Brazil (University of São Paulo, Femusc Festival), Israel (Jerusalem International Conducting Masterclass), Spain (Real Conservatorio Superior de Granada) and Mexico (Queretaro Festival). She was a jury member for the Besançon Competition (2017- 2021), and from 2014-16 held a guest professorship in conducting at the University of the Arts, Berlin
Born in Manchester and now based in Berlin, Catherine Larsen-Maguire read music at Cambridge University, followed by studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London and the Karajan Academy in Berlin. She turned her focus exclusively to conducting in 2012 following a successful career as a bassoonist, which included 10 years as principal at the Komische Oper Berlin.
