ENO appoints new music director

Gardner will take up his post full-time in May 2007

English National Opera has made British conductor Edward Gardner its new music director. At 31, he is the youngest person to be appointed in the role.

The post has been vacant since December when the appointment of Italian-Russian conductor Oleg Caetani was cancelled weeks before he was due to start.

Born in Gloucester, Gardner is music director of Glyndebourne on Tour and will continue in the role until 2007.

He made his ENO debut last year with Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte.

"Alongside all the members of the company, I am committed to dedicating myself to the future artistic growth of ENO and to investing the time and presence required to shape its new future," he said.

Artistic director John Berry said: "Edward's qualities as a musician and his natural rapport with both singers and creative teams make his appointment a major coup for ENO."

His sentiments were echoed by chief executive Loretta Tomasi, who called Gardner "a natural collaborator".

Gardner's appointment comes after a turbulent period for the ENO, which has been rocked in recent months by industrial unrest and the departures of chairman Martin Smith and artistic director Sean Doran.

Gardner said he was "thrilled" to be given the post "at such an exciting time".