Dinis Sousa

Dinis Sousa is Principal Conductor of the Royal Northern Sinfonia, a position he has held since April 2021. During his tenure the orchestra have performed at the BBC Proms twice, with soloists Kristian Bezuidenhout and Nicholas Daniel. During the 2023/24 season, they will present a complete cycle of Robert Schumann’s symphonies at Sage Gateshead in addition to his choral masterpiece “Das Paradies und die Peri”. Other highlights include a world premiere by Cassandra Miller, collaborations with soloists Christian Tetzlaff, Steven Isserlis and Elisabeth Leonskaja and several performances around the UK including Birmingham and Cardiff.

During the 2023/24 season Dinis will make his debut with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Iceland Symphony Orchestra and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, as well as returning to Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and the Sinfonietta Riga. Recent engagements have included the BBC Philharmonic, Gulbenkian Orchestra and Ulster Orchestra and two programmes at the Carmel Bach Festival. His operatic experience includes Rossini’s “Il barbiere di Siviglia” (Nevill Holt Opera) and Debussy’s “Pelléas et Mélisande” (Orquestra XXI).

Dinis has a close association with Sir John Eliot Gardiner and his ensembles; holding the position of Associate Conductor of the Monteverdi Choir and Orchestras. Highlights of his tenure include co-conducting the Monteverdi Choir in Berlioz’s “Roméo et Juliette” at the BBC Proms, and conducting the English Baroque Soloists in Colombia.

Dinis is Founder and Artistic Director of Orquestra XXI, an award-winning orchestra which brings together some of the best young Portuguese musicians from around Europe to perform in the most prestigious venues in Portugal. Recent highlights include opening the Gulbenkian Foundation season and a critically acclaimed tour of Mahler’s Symphony No 5 to celebrate the orchestra’s 10th anniversary. In recognition of his work with Orquestra XXI, Dinis was awarded the title of Knight of the Order of Prince Henry in Portugal.