He was born in London on 31/8/1973. He studied at King's College, Cambridge under John Deathridge and Robin Holloway. He also studied privately under Alfred Brendel and György Kurtág. He conducted the Cambridge University orchestras and held contemporary music concerts. As a pianist, he attended classes at Mozarteum Salzburg and the International Musicians’ Seminar in Cornwall. He started appearing professionally in 1995, conducting contemporary operas in London, Almeida Opera, etc. Thereafter, he performed at the English National Opera (1998) and the San Francisco Opera, where he was resident conductor for three years. He has conducted at major operas in both Europe and America, including the Houston Grand Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Washington National Opera, New York City Opera, Canadian Opera Company, Grand Teatre del Liceu Barcelona, Stockholm Royal Opera, Norwegian National Opera, Opera North (Leeds), l' Opéra Comique Paris and Birmingham Opera. In 2010 he was appointed as head conductor at the Leipzig Opera. In 2012 he conducted the world premiere of Jonathan Dove’s opera Life is a Dream and Benjamin Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Moscow. He also conducts symphonic works, mostly in Germany, Austria, Spain and Italy. He has often collaborated with stage director Christopher Alden, as well as tenor Plácido Domingo in Tamerlano and Iphigénie en Tauride. He collaborated with the Greek National Opera once, directing the double production of The Prisoner [Il prigioniero] and The Brief Life [La vida breve] (2006/07).