about
Lochlan Brown is an Australian conductor, pianist, and composer, based in Amsterdam, whose work spans opera, music theatre, and interdisciplinary performance. Known for his stylistic versatility, progressive working methods, and deep commitment to vocal coaching, he brings a wide range of international experience to both established repertoire and new works.
His conducting highlights include the world premiere of Anansi at Dutch National Opera, a new production of Candide at the Lithuanian National Opera, and two seasons at Alden Biesen Zomeropera conducting La traviata and Un ballo in maschera. Most recently, he opened the Nederlandse Reisopera’s 70th anniversary season, conducting Gerald Barry’s The Stronger and the world premiere of Hagar by Jan-Peter de Graaff, which was awarded Opera of the Year 2025 by Place de l’Opéra. He is particularly recognized for multidisciplinary projects that push the boundaries of the traditional opera world, creating innovative pieces of theatre such as Dutch National Opera’s highly acclaimed Lennox, a unique collaboration of opera, hip-hop, and spoken word.
Lochlan has also been part of the music staff of international award-winning productions such as Bluebeard’s Castle (Opera of the Year 2024), Animal Farm (Best World Premiere 2023), Lady in the Dark (Opera of the Year 2022), and We Are the Lucky Ones, which received a nomination for the International Opera Awards 2025.
Driven by his passion to nurture and develop the next generation of opera performers, Lochlan is the founder and Artistic Director of the Netherlands Lyric Opera Festival. The festival was created to expand the operatic landscape in the Netherlands while offering meaningful training and professional exposure for emerging artists. Following a successful first edition, which included the formation of a new orchestra and staged productions of Gianni Schicchi alongside an extensive opera excerpts programme, he looks forward to further growing the festival in 2026.
Lochlan began his musical journey in Western Australia, where he studied piano at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts and developed a strong fascination for vocal repertoire through accompanying singers and composing for the voice. After graduating, he worked as a répétiteur at West Australian Opera and continued his training at the Lisa Gasteen National Opera School in Brisbane, studying with John Fisher, Siegfried Jerusalem, and Philip Mayers.
Encouraged to further his studies overseas, Lochlan moved to New York City to pursue advanced training in orchestral conducting and collaborative piano at the Mannes School of Music, under the tutelage of David Hayes, Cristina Stanescu, and Vlad Iftinca. During his time in the United States, he also worked as assistant conductor at the Miami Music Festival on productions such as La Bohème, Die Walküre, Le nozze di Figaro, The Crucible, and The Cunning Little Vixen, under conductors Kathleen Kelly, Bradley Moore, and Michael Rossi.
Developing a particular affinity for Italian bel canto style and techniques, Lochlan further honed his craft through specialist programmes in Italy, including La Lingua della Lirica with Glenn Morton and Ubaldo Fabbri, and Bel Canto in Tuscany with Giovanni Reggiolo, Will Crutchfield, and Richard Hetherington. In 2018, he was invited to take a two-year position as Maestro Collaboratore at Teatro dell’Opera di Roma.
As a pianist, Lochlan has appeared in recitals at venues including Carnegie Hall and the Concertgebouw, as well as on Dutch television and radio programmes such as Podium Klassiek and Mondo. He has received numerous awards as both a pianist and composer, including the Newton Swift Piano Award in the United States for being “an outstanding soloist and amiable colleague in accompanying and chamber music”, first prize in the Evelyn and Ralph Thompson Memorial Scholarship competition for singers and pianists, the Waveney Wansbrough Memorial Prize for Chamber Music Performance, and first prize for his original compositions at Australia’s Fremantle Eisteddfod and Joondalup Eisteddfod. He has also been commissioned to compose new works for the vocal ensemble Voiceworks’ ANZAC veterans commemoration and the West Australian Symphony Orchestra.
Beyond opera and song, Lochlan enjoys working in television, film, and musical theatre. He has made arrangements and orchestrations for projects fusing opera, hip-hop, ballet, electronics, and other cross-genre elements, many of which have been showcased at the Opera Forward Festival in the Netherlands. From 2021 to 2024, he served as vocal coach and assistant to Leonard Evers on the successful Dutch television competition show ARIA, sparking curiosity for the operatic art form among millions of viewers each season.
Committed to redefining accessibility in classical music, Lochlan aims to help new audiences find interest in an art form sometimes perceived as antiquated. He believes in using innovation where possible, committing to education and community connection, and incorporating the technologies of our era to better facilitate artistic creation. Through his work as conductor, coach, and artistic leader, he continues to explore new ways for opera to speak powerfully and directly to our time.
Upcoming projects include a return to his hometown and to the theatre where his operatic journey began, conducting La traviata at West Australian Opera.