Chloe Rooke

When was the first time you were enchanted by (musical) theatre? And what was it that enchanted you?

When I was very young, I was fascinated by The Sound of Music. I remember watching the film almost every year and growing up with the Von Trapp children – noting each time which child I was closest to in age. I loved the way the story was told, the singing and dancing of the ensemble, and I was enchanted by the infectious joy on screen, even though it was a poignant and not always happy story. There was something so captivating about the whole process and the ensemble production that appealed to my little creative soul and made me want to be a part of it somehow. 

What does the audience give a conductor?

Energy is vital. Especially when I'm working on a comedy, I really flourish when the audience gets involved acoustically. When people allow themselves to react loudly. In the classical music industry, it's often taboo for the audience to make noise, but I personally love to hear and feel that energy from the audience, especially in a theatre, where it's much more about a dialogue between the performers and the audience. It affects everything – the confidence of the performers on stage to take risks, be brave and push the jokes further, but it also affects me in the orchestra pit and my comedic decisions – when I play certain chords, what tempo I choose (within certain limits!). I am constantly listening (emotionally and with my ears) to the audience, searching for a performance that will move them the most that evening. 

Why do people sing and why don't they speak?

When emotions become too strong in either direction, it is almost inevitable that a more emotional voice will emerge. It is like the unvarnished and direct nature of childlike emotions – when your heart sings or cries, it is only logical that this is also expressed musically. 

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Born in

United Kingdom

Education

Royal Academy in London Post-graduate study at the Dutch National Master in Orchestral Conducting

Important Engagements

Emerging Artist in Residence with the Residentie Orkest in Den Haag, Engagements with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia, Aurora Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Noord Nederlands Orkest, Grup Instrumental bei Palau de les Arts Valencia als Teil des ENSEMS Festivals, Orchestre National de Lille, BBC Concert Orchestra and London Mozart Players

Assistent at Glyndebourne Festival (Don Pasquale)

2024: Assistent at A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Garsington), Così fan tutte (Opera North)

2025: L’elisir d’amore (Garsington) Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Street Orchestra Live (the first street orchestra in the United Kingdom)

Formative collaboration with these artists

Jac Van Steen, Kenneth Montgomery, Ed Spanjaard, Antony Hermus, Sian Edwards

Debut and important works at Volksoper Wien

Conductor The Pirates of Penzance (Season 2025/26)

Significant awards and honours

2022: Contemporary Award at the first International Conducting Competition in Rotterdam

2021: Audience Prize at the Donatella Flick-LSO Conducting Competition

Website

https://www.chloerooke.com/

* Use of the photograph ((c) Nick Rutter) solely for the purposes of current reporting on the Vienna Volksoper.