Dr. Simon Crawford

Biography

Simon Crawford-Phillips built a unique career as a pianist, conductor, and creative programmer. Passionate about contemporary music, Simon has given world premieres of works by Thomas Adès, Britta Byström, Helen Grime, Steve Reich, and Mark-Anthony Turnage. He held the position of Chief Conductor of the Västerås Sinfonietta from 2016 to 2028 and was a Conductor Fellow at NDR Elbphilharmonie in 2023, where he made his critically acclaimed debut conducting Britten’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ at the Stockholm Royal Opera. His recent debuts include performances with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Helsinki Philharmonic, Gävle Symfoniorkester, Swedish Chamber Orchestra, and Scottish Chamber Orchestra. As a pianist, he is part of the Kungsbacka Piano Trio, Nash Ensemble, Stockholm Syndrome Ensemble, Moore/Crawford-Phillips Duo, and the Colin Currie Group, performing worldwide and making recordings with BIS, Orchid, Hyperion, and Deutsche Grammophon. Upcoming releases feature works by Daniel Börtz, Sebastian Fagerlund, and Djuro Zivkovic in a piano duo album of Schubert and Bach/Kurtag. Simon also serves as the artistic director of the ‘Change Music Festival’ and co-director of the Wye Valley Chamber Music Festival. He is a dedicated teacher with previous positions at the Royal Academy of Music and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and was recently awarded a Professorship at Mälardalen University in Västerås, Sweden.

Research Interests