Luke Dollman began his musical life as a violinist, performing with Australian orchestras on both modern and baroque violin. After deciding to focus on conducting, he furthered his studies at the renowned Sibelius Academy in Helsinki gaining a Masters of Music degree with Leif Segerstam and Jorma Panula as well as studying at the Aspen Music Festival as a Fellow with David Zinman, Accademia Chigiana in Siena with Gianluigi Gelmetti, and in Tel Aviv with Noam Sheriff. Luke has also studied with Kurt Masur as part of the Allianz Foundations programme, rehearsing and performing with the London Philharmonic in the process. In 2000 he was awarded the First Prize in the Symphony Australia Westfield Conducting Competition hosted by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

A recipient of the Bernard Haitink Scholarship, Luke Dollman held the position of Assistant Conductor to Edo de Waart at the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic from August 2001. His tenure was extended until July 2003 after he successfully took over from Edo de Waart at a few hours notice in the ‘Matinee op de vrije zaterdag' series at the Concertgebouw - a production that was broadcast on national television. He was then asked to step in again at the Concertgebouw and also in Utrecht where he conducted Shostakovich Cello Concerto No.2 with soloist Heinrich Schiff and Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique. Elsewhere in The Netherlands, Luke Dollman has conducted Het Brabants Orkest to critical acclaim, the Holland Symfonia as well as further concerts with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic.

In 2005 Luke Dollman made his UK debut with BBC National Orchestra of Wales in a main series concert which was broadcast on BBC Radio 3, and has since regularly returned to them for concerts and recordings. In Australia he has enjoyed particular success with the Sydney Symphony and the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. Other orchestras he has worked with include the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Helsinki Philharmonic, Malaysian Philharmonic, Helsingborg Symphony, Gävle Symphony, Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Auckland Philharmonia and all of Australia's professional orchestras. Also interested in working with students, Luke has been a guest conductor at the Guildhall School of Music, Royal Conservatorium of The Hague, Sydney Conservatorium, the University of Auckland, and the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki.

In 2004 Luke Dollman made his opera debut at Opera Australia (Le Nozze di Figaro) and was invited again the following year to conduct Die Zauberflöte. He is now regularly working with the Finnish National Opera, having conducted Manon Lescaut (2005), La Rondine (2006), Rigoletto (2008) and Taming of the Shrew (2009). Next year, he will make his debut with the State Opera of South Australia (Pearlfishers) and has further returns planned with the Finnish National Opera.

September 2009

 

Not to be altered without permission. We update our biographies regularly. Please destroy all previous biographical material

Abrahamsen, Hans	Symfoni
Adams, John	Death of Klinghoffer
	Guide to Strange Places
	Shaker Loops
	Short Ride on a Fast Machine
	The Chairman Dances
Bach, J.C.	Sinfonia Op6/6
Bach J.S.	Brandenburg Concertos
	St John's Passion
	St Matthew's Passion
Barber	Violin Concerto
	Knoxville: Summer of 1915
	Adagio
Bartok	Concerto for Orchestra
	Divertimento for Strings
	Music for Strings Percussion and Celeste
	Piano Concerto No.3
Beethoven	Symphonies 1-9
	Violin Concerto
	Piano Concertos 1,3 & 5
	Various Overtures
Berio	O' King
Berlioz	Symphonie Fantastique
	Harold in Italy
	Various Overtures
Bernstein	Symphonic Dances from Westside Story
	Serenade after Plato (Violin Concerto)
Bizet	Carmen Suites
	L'Arlesienne Suites
Borodin	Symphony No. 2
	Polovtsian Dances
	On the Steppes of Central Asia
Brahms	Symphonies 1-4
	Tragic Overture
Brahms-Haydn	Variations
	Piano Concerto No.1
	Violin Concerto
Britten	Les Illuminations
	Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge
	Young Persons Guide for Orchestra
Bruckner	Symphonies 3*, 4* , 7-9*
Butterworth	A Shropshire Lad
Cage	Radio Music
Chabrier	Fête Polonaise
Chausson	Viviane
Chopin	Piano Concerto No.2
Copland	Appalachian Spring
	Clarinet Concerto
	Fanfare for the Common Man
Dean	Shadow Music
Debussy	L'après-midi d'un Faune
	La Mer
	Nocturnes
	Images
	Jeux
	Printemps
de Falla	Three Cornered Hat
Dutilleux	Métaboles
Dvorak	Symphonies 6 - 9
	Cello Concerto
	String Serenade
	Various Slavonic Dances
Edwards, Ross	Violin Concerto (Maninyas)
	White Ghost Dancing
	Symphony No.2
Elgar	Symphony No.1
	Enigma Variations
	String Serenade
Farr, Gareth	From the Depths Sounds the Great Sea Gongs
Franck	Symphony in D minor
Gershwin	Rhapsody in Blue
	Cuban Overture
Glass	Company
Gordon, Chris	Bass Trombone Concerto
Gorecki	Symphony No.3
Grieg	Peer Gynt Suites
	Piano Concerto
Harrison, Lou	Piano Concerto
Handel	Water Music
Haydn	Symphonies 44, 82, 83,84, 86, 88, 91, 99, 101 - 104
	Cello Concertos
	Missa Brevis in F
	Trumpet Concerto
Henze	Drei Geistliche Konzerte (Trumpet Concerto)
Herrman, Bernard	Vertigo Suite
	Psycho Suite
Hindson, Matthew	Percussion Concerto
Honegger	Le Roi David
	Pacific 231
Ives	The Unanswered Question
	Washington's Birthday
	Decoration Day
Janacek	Cunning Little Vixen Suite
	Glagolitic Mass*
	Jenufa*
Jolivet	Trumpet Concerto
Kancheli	A la diduki
Kats-Chernin, Elena	Piano Concerto No.2
Korngold	The Sea Hawk
Lentz, Georges	Ngangkar
	Guyumghan
	Monh (Viola Concerto)
Lutoslawski	Concerto for Orchestra
	Dance Preludes (2nd version, Clarinet Concerto)
	Cello Concerto
	Symphony No.4
	Jeux Vénitiens
	Livre
	Funeral Music
Mahler	Symphony No.1
	Symphonies 3,5,7 & 8*
Maxwell Davies	Symphony No.4 (Recorded for BBC)
Mendelssohn	Symphonies 3 & 4
	Violin Concerto
Messiaen	Chronochromie
	Les Offrandes Oubliées
	L'Ascension
	Eclairs sur l'au-delà*
	St Francois d'Assise*
Metcalf, John	Mapping Wales
Mills, Richard	Tenebrae
Mozart	Symphonies 19, 21, 25, 29, 31, 35, 36, 38 - 41
	Le Nozze di Figaro
	Die Zauberflöte
	Coronation Mass
	Various Piano Concertos
	Flute / Violin / Horn Concertos
	Various Overtures
Mussourgsky/Ravel	Pictures at an Exhibition
Nielsen	Rhapsodic Overture ‘Voyage to the Faroe Islands'
Nyman	Prospero's Book
Pärt, Arvo	Orient and Occident
Penderecki	Symphony No.2
Poulenc	Organ Concerto
Prokofiev	Symphonies 1 & 5
	Love for Three Oranges Suite
	Piano Concerto No.1
	Violin Concertos 1 & 2
Rachmaninoff	Symphony No.3
	Symphonies 1 & 2*
	Piano Concerto No.3
	Vocalise
Rautavarra A	Requiem in our Time
Ravel	Daphnis & Chloë
	Mother Goose Suite
	Bolero
	Rapsodie Espagnole
	Pavane
	Scheherezade
	Une barque sur l'océan
	La Valse
	L'Heure Espagnole
	Tzigane
Reich, Steve	Tehillim
	New York Counterpoint
	The Desert Music*
Rimsky-Korsakov	Sheherezade
Rossini	Various Overtures
Roussel	Bacchus et Ariane 2nd Suite
Saint-Saens	Introduction & Rondo Capriccioso
	Piano Concerto No. 3
Schoenberg	Pierrot Lunaire
	Piano Concerto
Schubert	Symphonies 2, 3, 5 & 8
	Rosamunde Overture
	Mass in G D167
Schumann	Symphonies 2 - 4
	Cello Concerto
	Manfred Overture
Scriabin	Poem of Ecstasy*
Sculthorpe, Peter	Kakadu
	Sun Music III
	Earth Cry
	Memento Mori
Shlomowitz, Matthew	Hands above feet, trying
Shostakovich	Symphonies 1, 5, 9 & 10
	Cello Concertos 1 & 2
	Violin Concerto No.1
	Piano Concerto No.1
	Sibelius Symphonies 1 - 7
	Tapiola
	Luonnatar
	Finlandia
	Karelia Suite
	Pelléas and Mélisande
	Violin Concerto
Smetana	The Bartered Bride, Overture and Dances
Stanhope, Paul	Spin Dances
Strauss, Richard	Burleske for Piano and Orchestra
	Horn Concerto No.1
	Metamorphosen
	Till Eulenspiegel
	Don Juan
	Alpine Symphony*
	Heldenleben*
Strauss, Johann	Various Waltzes
Stravinsky	Dumbarton Oaks
	Firebird Suite (1919)
	Petrushka
	Le Chant du Rossignol
	Jeu de Cartes
	Apollon Musagète
	Danses Concertantes
	Symphony of Wind Instruments
Szymanowski	Symphony No.2
	Violin Concerto No.1
Tchaikovsky	Symphonies 1, 5 & 6
	Romeo and Juliet
	Nutcracker Suite
	Serenade for Strings
	1812 Overture
	Hamlet
	Rococco Variations
	Violin Concerto
	Piano Concerto No.1
	Suite No.4 ‘Mozartiana'
Torke, Michael	The Yellow Pages
	Adjustable Wrench
Varese	Octandre
	Amériques*
	Arcana*
Vasks, Petris	Musica Dolorosa
Vaughan Williams	The Wasps Overture
	The Lark Ascending
	Fantasia on ‘Greensleeves'
	Symphony No.7 ‘Antarctica'
Verdi	Various Overtures
Vivaldi	The Four Seasons
	Gloria
	Various Concerti
Wagner	Siegfried Idyll
	Lohengrin Preludes
	Tristan Prelude and Liebestod
Walton	Facade
Wesley-Smith, Marin	Mrs Hargreaves Remembers
Westlake, Nigel	Entomology
Woolrich, John	The Elephant from Celebes

SMETANA
The Bartered Bride (Sydney Conservatorium)

 

As an assistant:

ADAMS, JOHN

The Death of Klinghoffer (Netherlands Radio, Edo de Waart)
El Niño (Netherlands Radio. John Adams)

HENZE
The Bassarids (Netherlands Radio, Markus Stenz)

JANACEK
Jenufa (Netherlands Opera, Edo de Waart)

MESSIAEN
Saint Francois D'Assise (Netherlands Radio, Reinbert de Leeuw)

PUCCINI
Gianni Schicchi (Sydney Conservatorium)

STRAUSS
Die Liebe der Danae (Netherlands Radio, Edo de Waart)

WAGNER

Lohengrin (Netherlands Opera, Edo de Waart)
Gotterdammerung (Sydney Symphony, Edo de Waart)
Die Walkure (Sydney Symphony, Edo de Waart)

 

Operas in preparation:

Bizet
Pearlfishers (State Opera of South Australia)

Verdi
Rigoletto (Finnish National Opera)

 

October 2008

Canberra Symphony Orchestra, Haydn 104/ Prokofiev 1
The first work of the programme was the brilliantly cheeky First  Symphony of Prokofiev. Here the conductor drew a response from the players that was suitably high spirited, and it made an exhilarating start to the program... Haydn migh have been in his 60s when he wrote it, but it is a forward lookinki symphony, filled with joyousness which this performance realised so attractively. This is music of celebration. The final allegro spriritoso was most exciting, making a memorable conclusion to an exceedingly fine concert.

The Canberra Times, W.L. Hoffmann, April 17, 2008

Helsinki Philharmonic, Twelfth Night Concert (Film Music)
Because in concert the film is stripped down to essential frames chosen by Timo Aarniala, the accompanying music's soul claims its rightful place. The effect is enhanced to it's fullest by Luke Dollman's vision, where the sole purpose is to involve listener a sense of passion and images. Dollman focused on the main objective and managed to complete it perfectly.

Helsingin Sanomat, Annmari Salmela, January 8, 2008

BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Rimisky-Korsakoff, Scheherezade
Scheherazade is a wonderfully emotive piece of music, full of striking colours and beautiful melody. But as this performance revealed, there is so much more to the music and its composer, Rimsky-Korsakov. The orchestra performed the work under conductor Luke Dollman and it was a performance as rich as the music, The music provides many opportunities for individual member of the orchestra to shine and were some outstanding contributions.

This is South Wales, Malcolm Rees, October 19, 2007

Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Brahms Symphony No.2
His conducting style is immediately impressive. Gracefulness flows easily and naturally from his baton, and his performances, while not of the gritted teeth or furrowed brow variety, possess an unflappable sense of elegance. This was no idle stroll in the park: it was a supercharged performance that swept along, scaling dramatic heights that took the breath away.

The Australian, Graham Strahle, May 29, 2007

BBC National Orchestra of Wales, New Music Programme
4 stars out of 5
Australian conductor Luke Dollman maintained a balance that allowed the intricacies of counterpoint to register as well as the thrusting energy. The vibrato-free purity of the amplified voices of the four female singers, Synergy Vocals, rang through Llandaff Cathedral. When the calm of the slow third section, Psalm 19, gave way to an explosion of Hallelujahs in the fourth, the sense of the composer's spiritual homecoming was palpable, and the music's implicit joy wonderfully realised.

The Guardian, Rian Evans, Septermber 5, 2006

Gavle Symphony, Beethoven Symphony No.6 ‘Pastorale'
Dollman's instinctive feeling, fast tempi and feeling for both pastoral atmospheres and dramatic pictures of storms gave us a ‘cast in one piece' version of "The Pastorale". The orchestra sounded more like a period orchestra than a modern one: transparent, light and elegant.

Arbeterbladet, Borje Larsson, February 5, 2006

Finnish National Opera, Manon Lescaut
The adulation, passion and later great pain that stormed out from the orchestra, was convincingly interpreted by conductor Luke Dollman in pure Puccini spirit.

Tijdskriften OPERA, Ingrid Gafvert, December, 2005

Opera Australia, The Magic Flute
The singing is fresh and bright, matching the lightness and buoyancy of the score. Under the baton of Luke Dollman, the playing by Orchestra Victoria is crisp and lively, bringing out the full revelry and frivolity of Mozart's last operatic masterpiece. Thoroughly enjoyable.

City Weekly (Melbourne) David Crofts. April 27, 2005

The piece comes up with freshness, vitality, wit and style - helped immensely by the mostly younger singers who bring Mozart's opera naturally, seemingly effortlessly, to life. So too does the conductor, Luke Dollman whose tempos never drag and retain lyricism where lyricism is due. Orchestra Victoria responds with some marvelous playing. This is a marvelous revival that should be seen by all Mozart-lovers.

The Sunday Age (Melbourne), Michael Smith, April 24, 2005

Pleasing to the ear, and the eye, this Magic Flute is an absolute delight from beginning to end.

State of the Arts, Ronald McCoy, April 26, 2005

Opera Australia, Le Nozze di Figaro
Conductor Luke Dollman does a star turn on the conductor's pulpit. Dollman has some well-judged tempos and remained sympathetic to his singers all the way through nearly 200 minutes of music.

Media and Culture Review, Emma Neims, Septermber 9, 2004

Sydney Symphony, Shostakovich Symphony No.5
Then came the purposeful political philosophy of Shostakovich's Symphony No.5, given a strong, determined reading under Luke Dollman, the young conductor from South Australia now climbing the international ladder. Musically and visually he makes a forceful impression.

North Shore Times, October 22, 2004

In Shostakovich's Symphony No.5, Dollman maintained admirable continuity, control and momentum... Dollman set off the finale with cracking intensity, producing the night's most vivid playing in the terrifying opening sequence.

Sydney Morning Herald, Peter McCallum, 2004

West Australian Symphony Orchestra, Beethoven Symphony No. 3 ‘Eroica'
If you have not heard of young conductor Luke Dollman, make a note of the name. Because if his direction of Beethoven's Eroica Symphony is anything to go by, he may well be Australia's hottest conducting prospect. I have lost count of the number of times I've heard the Eroica and I wondered how Dollman would shape up to this tough assignment. The short answer is splendidly. Dollman's choice of tempi could not be faulted. And, unusual in so youthful a conductor, there was no attempt to interpose himself between the music and the listener. As a whole this was a reading that came as close as makes no matter to the musical truth - and there is little enough of that about.

West Australian, Neville Cohn, April 2004

Adelaide Symphony, Stravinsky Petrushka
A sparkling performance of Stravinsky's Petrushka. Dollman was in his element giving this ballet score fastidious but understated direction and conveying all its witty, jesting playfulness.

The Adelaide Review, Graham Strahle, June 2004

Both the conductor Luke Dollman and the orchestra clearly excelled in the spiky rhythms of Igor Stravinsky's ballet.

dbMagazine Brett Allen-Bayes, June 2004

Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Mozart 29, Pergolesi Stabat Mater
There was crispness, freshness and grace in the playing plus a sense that the players now feel confortable with the lighter bowing technique and non equally tempered tuning that has become de rigeur for early Classical and Baroque repertoire. Under the superb direction of young Adelaide conductor Luke Dollman, Mozart's Symphony No.29 had finesse written all over it. Dollman is to be rated a major talent.

The Adelaide Review, Graham Strahle, May 2001

Luke Dollman conducted with authority coaxing some impassioned playing from the orchestra. The more elegant Symphony No.29 by Mozart was handled with deft assurance by conductor and orchestra.. No doubt because Easter is upon us, the major work was Pergolesi's Stabat Mater. Luke Dollman guided the performance with skill and musical insight.

The Advertiser, Stephen Whittington, April 9, 2001

Het Brabants Orkest, All Mozart programme
The orchestra played these works under young Australian conductor Luke Dollman with  freshness as if these well known works were brand new. It was a concert that radiated pleasure. All works moved well, much attention was paid to the refinement of playing and ensemble of the many difficult entries, winds and strings blended well, in the interpretation as in the coloring the sound was good in all its aspects. In a concert with such positive attitude it is striking how beautiful some pieces are.

Eindhovens Dagblad, Marjolijn Sengers, September 24, 2001