Press & Reviews
A selection of recent reviews and articles. For reviews before 22/23, please refer to the Musichall Ltd website
SPRING - SUMMER 2026
LA FANCIULLA DEL WEST - Opera Holland Park, London
‘Puccini has the gift of taking a melodramatic moment and elevating it into something transcendent through his varied and continually apt score. As on many occasions here and elsewhere, conductor Matthew Kofi Waldren knows exactly how to make every bar hit home in a way few of his peers can.’ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - The Stage (May 2026)
‘Waldren’s direction of the CLS and its playing were first-class. If you would have me down as a sceptic for chamber orchestra Puccini, you would be right. Not only, though, was I convinced from the outset; the question never arose in the first place. Here was a sound that was throughout just right, a gorgeous string sheen the icing on a cake of many ingredients, often dissolving in strikingly modernist fashion before our ears, whilst never forgetting its ‘Italian’ – forgive the essentialism – heart. Flexible yet directed, warm yet variegated, here was a Fanciulla that evoked the Puccini of his past and future, whilst reminding us how close much of it stands to Tristan und Isolde, to Debussy, and to the operas and film scores of Korngold and company. If I had a slight doubt, I wondered whether it might move on a little faster at times, but such matters come down to taste more than judgement. Passages of suspended time had their own dramatic motivation, palpably received throughout a packed audience.’ - Seen And Heard International (May 2026)
‘The laurels for this production must however go to Matthew Kofi Waldren and the City of London Sinfonia who delivered a magnificent performance. Despite punchy and forceful strings, Kofi Waldren gave space for the woodwinds to breathe and highlighted the opera’s velvet textures and broad range. This was Puccini playing at its very finest and for this alone, the production is worth catching.’ - Bachtrack (June 2026)
‘The City of London Sinfonia (under Matthew Kofi Waldren) has rarely sounded better or more polished at Holland Park, and the same goes for the vitality and precision of the chorus. The reason for this opera’s unpopularity is surely its lack of a hit tune; you keep waiting for a ‘Vissi d’arte; or ‘Nessun dorma’ that never comes. But when the score is realised as vividly as this, the absence feels a lot less noticeable’ - The Spectator (June 2026)
‘The City of London Sinfonia bring lucidity and agility, which avoids the overblown or sentimental. Under Matthew Kofi Waldren, their reading is finely poised between dramatic urgency and a more spacious, lyrical pace which gives the music due emotional weight. There is an apt subtlety in this account of an opera which almost entirely foregoes arias, choruses and other set pieces, but constitutes a more dynamic sequence of vocalised dialogue. Those who find Puccini’s more famous operas to wear their melodrama too much on their sleeve should find in this one more balanced dramatic tension, without sacrificing the composer’s characteristically rich orchestral style.’ - Opera Today (June 2026)
‘In Matthew Kofi Waldren's hands the results were vivid and impassioned. He brought out the rich detail of Puccini's score allied to a lovely flexibility of phrasing. As in much of Puccini, the use of thematic material told us what to think and in many places the orchestral playing created mini-tone poems. Never once did you feel the lack of the full orchestration and whilst Waldren ensured that the orchestra was a dominant partner in proceedings they never overwhelmed.’ - Planet Hugill (May 2026)
‘It’s musically strong too. Matthew Kofi Waldren’s steady pacing and flexible phrasing find colour and human drama in the most unassuming corners of Puccini’s mercurial score, given here in Ettore Panizza’s reduction. The 40 musicians from the City of London Sinfonia, including four percussionists, guitar, banjo, celeste and harp, sound like an orchestra twice their size. The same is true of the vocal ensemble who could give the Royal Opera a run for its money.’ - The Guardian (May 2026)
‘Musically, conductor Matthew Kofi Waldren judged the score astutely. Puccini’s orchestration can easily turn into expensive soup, especially outdoors, but the City of London Sinfonia played with sinew and transparency. Details flickered out of the texture — banjo rhythms, uneasy harmonic shadows, little surges of Straussian ambition — without sacrificing momentum. The great Act Three build-up arrived with thrilling inevitability rather than mere decibel accumulation.’ -Opera Spy (June 2026)
Musically, the evening is very strong. Matthew Kofi Waldren draws colour, urgency and tenderness from the City of London Sinfonia, working with a reduced orchestration that rarely feels small. The playing has bite in the dramatic passages and a beautiful transparency in the more reflective moments. Puccini’s score, with its hints of modernism, American colour and lush Italian lyricism, is shaped with both confidence and sensitivity. - Opera Review (June 2026)
‘British conductor Matthew Kofi Waldren works wonders in maintaining musical cohesion when so much of the action unfolds behind him.’ - Plays to See (June 2026)
‘Conductor Matthew Kofi Waldren elicited an insightful and precise account of the score from the 40 strong City of London Sinfonia, which played Ettore Panizza’s version for reduced orchestra.’ - Music OMH (2026)
‘The all-male chorus is outstanding, responding wholeheartedly – along with the City of London Sinfonia – to the spirited conducting of Matthew Kofi Waldren.’ -The Observer (June 2026)
‘OHP’s resident orchestra, City of London Sinfonia conducted by Matthew Kofi Waldren, is on the small side for Puccini but is on such boisterous form that its size is not an issue. The large cast and chorus are equally energetic, with some telling cameos in smaller roles.’ - The Evening Standard (May 2026)
‘The production is in the experienced hands of solidly traditional director Martin Lloyd-Evans and crisply efficient conductor Matthew Kofi Waldren…his [Puccini] inventive orchestration is boldly executed by the City of London Sinfonia.’ - The Daily Telegraph (2026)
‘Matthew Kofi Waldren’s assiduous and generous-hearted conducting” - The Critic (June 2026)
‘Drawing this ensemble together, including an excellent chorus, Matthew Kofi Waldren conducts an idiomatic reading of a reduced score, contrived to compensate for a City of London Sinfonia string section that could have done with a few more players. But it was clear than Kofi Waldren knows and loves the score inside-out: there was plenty to relish in Puccini’s quasi-impressionistic orchestration (with nods to Debussy, Ravel and even early Stravinsky’ -Hugh Canning/Operalogue (June 2026)
SILVANO & CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA - Chelsea Opera Group, Cadogan Hall
‘the maritime setting afforded the composer the opportunity to evoke the sea or the starlit night over it in some attractive passages of music. They were brought out translucently by Matthew Kofi Waldren and the Chelsea Opera Group Orchestra in this concert performance, as also the yearning instrumental lines adumbrating or echoing those of the voices. The red-hot intensity of its ending here brought the work within the same ambit as Cavalleria’s seething passions, also thrillingly realised in this performance…
this was a highlight in Chelsea Opera Group’s enviable history of exploring fascinating repertoire’ - Opera Today (March 2026)
‘Like hiding a pill in a spoonful of jam, it was a shrewd move by Chelsea Opera Group to pair a little-known rarity, Silvano, with a popular warhorse that the audience already knows and loves. The Cadogan Hall faithful who roared their approval at the end of Cavalleria rusticana had earlier been pleasantly surprised by the pre-interval rarity; but then Pietro Mascagni, composer of both, is a byword for pleasant surprises. Silvano is a lyrical delight and the conductor Matthew Kofi Waldren squeezed every drop of verismo passion from its pages.
The indefatigable singers and players of COG were among friends who wished them well, to the extent that Waldren was greeted by a slightly surreal 'Bravo!' before he'd even raised his baton. Three hours later he had earned his plaudits. The intrepid orchestra, scratchy in places but invigorated from the podium, found moments of grandeur that lifted the spirits, especially when the massed strings hit their groove’ - Opera with Opera News (June 2026)
AUTUMN - WINTER 2025
HMS PINAFORE - English National Opera, London Coliseum
“Matthew Kofi Waldren serves up the score with plenty of punch and the ENO chorus is on outstanding form” - The Guardian (December 2025)
“Gilbert and Sullivan endure. I’d almost forgotten how supremely lyrical, melodic and foot-tapping HMS Pinafore is—all at the same time. Conductor Matthew Kofi Waldren honours Sullivan, endures the directions from the stage in good spirit and conducts a storm. This is my pleasure.” - British Theatre Guide (December 2025)
“Matthew Kofi Waldren conducts with buoyancy and finesse, keeping the orchestral sound lively without rushing. The chorus – always one of ENO’s strengths – sing with clarity and excellent ensemble…There are pleasures to be found – chiefly musical, and chiefly thanks to the cast and orchestra” - Music OMH (December 2025)
“In the pit, Matthew Kofi Waldren excelled in the rumbustious overture and kept the rest of the evening for singers and orchestra alike on a tight rein. The men’s chorus was lusty and there were wonderful sounds from the deep basses.” - Seen and Heard International (December 2025)
“The ENO orchestra and chorus are superb, sprightly and vivid at all the right moments. Conductor Matthew Kofi Waldren emphasises the colour in the score and the orchestra is both polished and playful.” - Arts Hub (December 2025)
“Keeping everything shipshape below deck is the orchestra of ENO under Matthew Kofi Waldren who, together, inject plenty of life into this Victorian score and somehow manage to ignore the mayhem above. Altogether, a fun-filled evening of lampooning and lusty singing – English National Opera at its best.” - Opera Today (December 2025)
“The ENO orchestra was conducted at a brisk tempo by Matthew Kofi Waldren, holding everything together as the performers enjoyed themselves.” - The Daily Express (December 2025)
“Conducted wondrously by Maestro Matthew Kofi Waldren, they provided soaring melodies and a perfect warmth of sound throughout, which always supported the singers with great energy, reliability and sensitivity.” - All that Dazzles (December 2025)
“Under Matthew Kofi Waldren’s baton, they play the stirring score with a zip and a bounce, with cracking timpani and soaring solos.” - Music Theatre Review (December 2025)
“The ENO band for HMS Pinafore is conducted by Matthew Kofi Waldren, who previously conducted ENO’s Olivier Award-nominated production of Jeanine Tesori’s Blue. He created a precise and dynamic reading of the score, with the musicians responding to his direction impeccably.” - London Unattached (December 2025)
“With a smallish-sounding band accompanying crisply directed by Matthew Kofi Waldren, this makes for a fine, fun, if frothy, night out.” - Critics Circle (December 2025)
“the orchestra plays with warmth and full-bodied sweep. In visual and musical terms, the evening often impresses.” - The Reviews Hub (December 2025)
“The conducting by Matthew Kofi Waldren is sure-footed” - Plays to See (December 2025)
“But the merriment of the production is the same, under the exuberant conduction of Matthew Kofi Waldren. ” - Theatre Cat (December 2025)
“The ENO orchestra under Matthew Kofi Waldren play stylishly and idiomatically. It says a lot for their sheer versatility that they are able to produce a convincingly early music scrunchy sound in Handel’s Partenope, as well as delivering Sullivan’s score so neatly.” - Mark Aspen (December 2025)
”Matthew Kofi Waldren conducts extremely well, while the cast is notably strong.” - Opera Online (December 2025)
“Marshalling the excellent ENO chorus and orchestra in Sullivan’s infallible score is conductor Matthew Kofi Waldren” - The Stage (December 2025)
“the orchestra, led by Matthew Kofi Waldren, is incredible.” - Theatre Weekly (December 2025)
SPRING - SUMMER 2025
CHINEKE! CELEBRATES A DECADE - Chineke! Orchestra, QEH, London
“The orchestra and the excellent conductor Matthew Kofi-Waldren rose to the occasion with playing of beautiful precision and sensitivity.” - Telegraph (January 2025)
“Its programmes often include standard repertoire; not here. Instead, we got a selection of Chineke! commissions, conducted with calm authority by Matthew Kofi Waldren.“ - The Evening Standard (January 2025)
LA TRAVIATA - Opera Holland Park
“Matthew Kofi Waldren conducts the prelude with exquisite restraint, the phrasing so delicate and unhurried it seems to echo the rhythm of fading breath...
The Act II encounter between Violetta and Germont is the opera’s emotional core, and here it is delivered with clarity and conviction...The orchestra, under Matthew Kofi Waldren, mirrors their journey with restrained power and emotional precision, allowing this complex, shifting relationship to unfold with poignant realism…
Shortly after, Violetta’s private anguish erupts in one of Verdi’s most affecting arias, “Amami, Alfredo.” Langer delivers it with searing vulnerability, her voice unfolding with urgency and heartbreak. The orchestra responds in kind—under Waldren’s sensitive direction, it swells like a wave of raw emotion. It was, quite palpably, a moment that moved many in the audience to tears…
This revival, framed by Gaitanou’s sensitive direction, Chisholm’s quietly expressive design, and Waldren’s refined conducting, is overwhelmingly powerful. La Traviata here does not dazzle—it devastates. And in doing so, it reaches a profound emotional truth that lingers long after the final breath.” - Plays to See (July 2025)
“With a piece as familiar as this Verdi work – currently the most-frequently staged opera in the world – there’s always a danger of a performance lapsing into cliché or routine. That certainly doesn’t happen here, where the return of Rodula Gaitanou’s production, under the baton of Matthew Kofi Waldren, suggests that these two creatives have scrutinised the libretto and score anew to explore further meanings. They are aided in expounding their insights into the piece by an exceptional cast.
Even more remarkably, there’s a rewarding individuality about the members of the Opera Holland Park Chorus – a substantial group, incidentally – and among the players of the City of London Sinfonia. They perform a skilful orchestral reduction of the piece while suggesting comprehensively renewed study, which pays serious dividends; it is almost as if one is seeing and hearing the piece for the first time.” - The Stage (July 2025)
“In the pit, Matthew Kofi Waldren demonstrated that he has developed into a seasoned Verdian, drawing a fine performance out of all concerned. This was one which flowed dramatically, yet individual singers were allowed time to expand and breathe without letting things stretch out. And overall, there was the sense that music itself was shaped in a way that allowed it to flow.
Opera Holland Park has been rightly celebratory of the way the stars aligned for this production when it debuted and this revival was no seasoned routine, but a vibrantly living and musical performance that was profoundly satisfying.” Planet Hugill (July 2025)
“In the pit, Matthew Kofi Waldren conducts with vigour and propulsion, creating an impressive sound from the City of London Sinfonia. Verdi's score asks a lot of the orchestra, particularly the violins here, but they respond with aplomb. The playful parties are as well defined as the emotional deathbed, with tenderness and intimacy inbetween.” - Broadway World (July 2025)
“it is conducted by Matthew Kofi Waldren, whose rigorous attention to detail makes for a highly compelling performance.” -MusicOMH (July 2025)
SPRING - SUMMER 2024
IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA - WGHO
“Matthew Kofi Waldren gave a masterclass…Waldren’s approach was crisp and disciplined yet responsive. The music flowed admirably, yet this was bel canto which allowed the singers to shape phrases” - Planet Hugill (July 2024)
“Matthew Kofi Waldren’s conducting of the West Green House Orchestra is highly accomplished. He maintains a strong sense of forward momentum without ever making the pace feel forced” - MusicOMH (July 2024)
TOSCA - Opera Holland Park
“As so often, conductor Matthew Kofi Waldren and OHP’s house band…seized the opportunity of their place right at the centre of the action. They delivered not just background music but the densely coloured Roman scene-painting…that peaks in Puccini’s extraordinary, and beautifully executed, prelude to Act III. Cellos, horns, clarinets and harp painted the city in tender shades while Waldren wrung every drop of the drama from the Wagner-meets-Hollywood motifs that define character and mood. The big ensemble scenes stirred” - The Arts Desk (June 2024)
“Matthew Kofi Waldren, with his notable flair for the Italian repertoire, conducts the City of London Sinfonia. The instrumentalists mark their 20th year at OHP with playing that tells a story every bit as vividly as the stage performers. *****” - Culture Whisper (June 2024)
“Under Matthew Kofi Waldren, the City of London Sinfonia played with clarity, nuance and impeccable pace - yet another winner in a wet evening that saw the audience set alight.” - Opera Wire (June 2024)
“Matthew Kofi Waldren steers the music along with flair” - The Stage (June 2024)
“Waldren allowed the music to flow with the vocal line, care was taken over shaping and extending phrases…and you always sensed Waldren’s grip on the larger dramatic point; big moments were thrilling, and small ones were intense. - Planet Hugill (June 2024)
‘the City of London sinfonia…is alert to Matthew Kofi Waldren’s brisk direction, particularly in Puccini’s serene depiction of dawn over deeply troubled Rome.” - Guardian (June 2024)
I DUE FOSCARI - COG
“The whole enterprise was fortunate to be conducted by the highly gifted Matthew Kofi Waldren…His control over proceedings brought forth my admiration in the way he obtained wonderful playing and singing from the orchestra and chorus while, at the same time, needing to coordinate his singers who were, at all times, singing away from his baton into the audience. A great gift and one that will carry his career forward with confidence and success.” - Musical Opinion (June 2024)
“The score’s succession of compact scenes is fast-moving, even precipitous, and in the comparitive intimacy of Cadogan Hall its many bold passages achieved a visceral impact…the sensitivity of Matthew Kofi Waldren’s conducting and the playing of the excellent orchestra came especially to the fore in the contemplative writing for solo clarinet, divided cellos, and a duetting viola and cello.” - Opera (July 2024)
WINTER - SPRING 2023/24
THE SNOWMAIDEN - RNCM
“Matthew Kofi Waldren is a wizard in the pit and draws lovely sounds from his players.” - Theatre Reviews North (Dec 2023)
“From the very first note, the RNCM’s orchestral prowess, guided by Waldren’s masterful conducting, set the stage for a journey into a realm of mystique and wonder.” - I Love Manchester (Dec 2023)
“The Orchestra of RNCM flourished under Matthew Kofi Waldren’s conducting that felt secure and with sensible tempos. Expertly played were solo contributions fron the section principals with flute and clarinet standing out.” - Seen and Heard (Dec 2023)
“Much of the opera’s glory lies in its choral set pieces and Rimsky-Korsakov’s prismatic orchestral colours, and, under…Matthew Kofi Waldren, the RNCM chorus and instrumentalists rose thrillingly to the occasion. The final scene in particular was electrifying…” - Opera (February 2024)
BRITTEN VS AUDEN - CLS
“Matthew Kofi Waldren elucidated the complex thematic developments and variations of the Sinfonietta Op.1, textures and colours brilliantly defined, motifs shaped with invigorating bite, aided but the virtuosity and vitality of the City of London Sinfonia ensemble.” - Opera Today (November 2023)
“Conducted by Matthew Kofi Waldren…the Sinfonia’s tight and agile playing let us appreciate young Britten straining at the formal leash…the exhilarating early Sinfonietta - executed with panache all round, and lit up by Karen Jones’s flute.” - The Arts Desk (November 2023)
“By the end…conducted by Matthew Kofi Waldren, a moving story emerged, not new but well told, of two artists struggling to find their own voices.” - The Observer (November 2023)
AINADAMAR - WNO
“Conductor Matthew Kofi Waldren presided over the rich musical mix with great skill, drawing first-class playing from the WNO Orchestra.” - Musical America (September 2023)
“Matthew Kofi Waldren does a superb job in capturing its melting pot of potent emotions and rich cultural influences” - The Times (September 2023)
“But it was the music, interpreted with urgency and flair by the WNO orchestra, conducted by Matthew Kofi Waldren, that gave that sense of healing and comfort. - Nation Cymru (September 2023)
“Alongside these outstanding principals, this latest incarnation of Ainadamar is featherbedded by the musical brilliance of the WNO Chorus and Orchestra under Matthew Kofi Waldren, and by a supporting cast of unimpeachable quality.” - Bachtrack (September 2023)
“Conductor Matthew Kofi Waldren, and an orchestra packed with guitars, piano, percussion and more, relish this eccentric piece, happily augmented by electronica…Today’s opera world is at its best when it incorporates other musical and dance styles, on an international plain; as barriers continue to be broken in the field, WNO’s Ainadamar stands as an impressive example of this inclusiveness. - Buzz Mag (September 2023)
“Under the baton of Matthew Kofi Waldren, the WNO Orchestra handsomely delivered the composer’s score in playing that was rhythmically alert and seductive.” - Opera Today (November 2023)
“The WNO Orchestra, under the baton of conductor Matthew Kofi Waldren, ensured Golijov’s complex score was fully expressed so that we felt pulled into the sometimes staccato rhythm of flamenco but also taken through the lyricism of the choral and solo pieces.” - WhatsOnLive (November 2023)
“Matthew Kofi Waldren’s conducting is exemplary. The score is demanding, not least in combining the acoustic and electronic elements. Full credit to all involved in creating such an intricate and engaging soundscape.” - The Reviews Hub (November 2023)
10 WAYS TO SAVE CLASSICAL MUSIC
In 2023, Matthew was asked by the Guardian newspaper to contribute to a major article discussing the future of Classical Music in the UK. You can read this article here.
SPRING - SUMMER 2023
THE PEARL FISHERS - OPERA NORTH
“There is some luscious playing in the orchestra, conducted by Matthew Kofi Waldren, not least from the harp. The recurrence of the duet melody, in its various guises, floats in and out of the action like a memory, a reminder.” -The Opera Critic (June 2023)
“Under the baton of Matthew Kofi Waldren the spellbinding soundscape, intricate harmonies and soaring choruses expertly captured the extremes of beauty and darkness” - Mag North (May 2023)
“Matthew Kofi Waldren and his band eke out every fleck of colour from Bizet’s score.” - The Times (May 2023)
“Matthew Kofi Waldren’s orchestra is impeccable throughout, maintaining an even momentum.” - The Stage (May 2023)
“under Matthew Kofi Waldren’s baton the Orchestra of Opera North sounded magnificent and did him and it proud. - The Arts Desk (May 2023)
“Matthew Kofi Waldren exploits the score’s lyrical qualities expertly.” - The Reviews Hub (May 2023)
“Conductor Matthew Kofi Waldren’s delivery, in this regard, was surefooted and insightful, highlighting both the score’s serenity and violence. His tempi accomodated the singers admirably and, despite the wide dynamics, there was ample allowance made for them to register vocally. The orchestra was alert and responsive throughout, with particularly beautiful, sympathetic contributions from the flute, cor anglais, horns and cello.” - Leeds Living (May 2023)
“With Matthew Kofi Waldren conducting, the Opera North Orchestra brought energy to the dance rhythms in the opening chorus, a splendidly light touch to the Entr’acte setting the scene for the start of Act II, and plenary of bite to the storm at the end of Act II.” - Classical Music Daily (July 2023)
BLUE - ENO
“a conductor at the top of his game…He was just as impressive here, attentive not only to his singers but wringing everything he could from Tesori’s score; the ENO Orchestra responded in kind” - Seen and Heard (May 2023)
“ENO’s crack musicians squeeze every penn’orth from her score under the assured baton of Matthew Kofi Waldren, an unsung hero of UK opera conducting…Waldren’s conviction always carries the day, especially when anger and anguish - the composer’s strongest suits - are to the fore.” - Bachtrack (April 2023)
“Matthew Kofi Waldren conducts with total authority, as always; it seems like only yesterday that I was privileged to be on a jury which chose him as joint ENO Sir Charles Mackerras Conducting Fellow.” - The Arts Desk (April 2023)
“masterfully written and performed, with Matthew Kofi Waldren making space for the swell of Jeanine Tesori’s score, and for the quiet moments where every word needed to be heard. - Opera Now (April 2023)
“Matthew Kofi Waldren conducts, complete master of all the score’s many musical genres, and with the Orchestra of English National Opera on top form, right down to the growliest contrabassoon.” - Culture Whisper (April 2023)
“Kofi Waldren conducts with considerable commitment and finesse. The playing is exemplary.” - The Guardian (April 2023)
“Matthew Kofi Waldren conducted with evident love as well as efficiency and care.” - The Observer (April 2023)
“The House orchestra, conducted with fluency and precision by Matthew Kofi Waldren, performs with supple sensitivity to the different genres of music in play.” - Plays to See (April 2023)
“The ENO Orchestra are on a roll after the wide-screen triumph of Korngold’s The Dead City, and with Matthew Kofi Waldren conducting, the dramatic line was never sacrificed. The climaxes were intense and tempi suited to the conversational metres of the libretto.” - London Unattached (April 2023)
THE CHEVALIER - LPO
“The LPO - presided over by conductor Matthew Kofi Waldren - was on ravishing form, managing to convey the chattering class sophistication and lurking anger in Bologna’s work.” - The Arts Desk (March 2023)
AUTUMN - WINTER 2022
MIGRATIONS - WNO
“This work represents revolutionary operatic theater…It could very well reframe how opera is created going forward…Perhaps one of the most neo-Wagnerian works staged in some time…Conductor Matthew Kofi Waldren, director Sir David Pountney, composer and jazz pianist Will Todd, and six brilliant librettists were at the forefront of the collaborative giant.” - Opera Wire (July 2022)
“Conductor Matthew Kofi Waldren did a bang-up job” - Buzzmag (July 2022)
“Matthew Kofi Waldren conducted with authority, marshalling forces that included the Renewal Choir Cummunity Chorus as well as WNO’s chorus and orchestra.” - Opera (September 2022)
“With some 100 people on stage and some 60 instrumentalists in the pit, conductor Matthew Kofi Waldren is in secure musical charge of this vast enterprise. It’s an ambitious project that will undoubtedly have achieved many of its goals as well as showing WNO at its best.” - The Stage (June 2022)
“with the WNO orchestra on fine form, conducted by Matthew Kofi Waldren. A testament to the power of multicultural collaboration, Migrations pulses with life.” - The Times (June 2022)
“Conductor Matthew Kofi Waldren marshalled all the WNO forces, plus the Renewal Choir Comminity Chorus, with great flair throughout; the participants’ joy was palpable.” - The Guardian (June 2022)