Harry Christophers is known internationally as founder and conductor of the United Kingdom-based choir and period instrument ensemble The Sixteen, and as a regular guest conductor for major symphony orchestras and opera companies worldwide. He has directed The Sixteen throughout Europe, America, and the Far East, gaining a distinguished reputation for his work in Renaissance, Baroque, and 20th century music. He has made a significant contribution to the recording catalogue (already comprising some 90 titles) for which he has won numerous awards, including a Grand Prix du Disque for Handel’s Messiah, numerous Preise der deutschen Schallplattenkritik (German Record Critics Awards), the coveted Gramophone Award for Early Music, and most recently the prestigious Classical Brit Award (2005) for his disc entitled Renaissance. His CD IKON was nominated for a 2007 Grammy. In 2000, he instituted the “Choral Pilgrimage,” a tour of English cathedrals from York to Canterbury performing music from the pre-Reformation, as The Sixteen’s contribution to the millennium celebrations. The Sixteen’s Choral Pilgrimage raised awareness of this historic repertoire and is now central to the UK’s annual artistic program. The 2009 Choral Pilgrimage will celebrate the anniversaries of Purcell and Handel as well as the 50th birthday of the Scottish composer James MacMillan.

In addition to his Handel and Haydn Society appointment and his commitment to The Sixteen, Mr. Christophers is the Principal Guest Conductor of the Granada Symphony Orchestra. He enjoys a very special partnership with the BBC Philharmonic, including a disc on the Coro label of American-inspired works by Ives, Stravinsky, Poulenc and Tippett, which won a Diapason d'Or. He is also a regular guest conductor with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields and the Orquestra de la Comunidad de Madrid, which have both benefited from his dynamic brand of programming. Within the last few years, he has conducted the Hallé, the London Symphony Orchestra, and the San Francisco Symphony.

Increasingly busy in opera, Mr. Christophers launched a Monteverdi cycle in 1998 with new productions for the Lisbon Opera of Il Ritorno d'Ulisse, following his success there with Gluck’s Orfeo. In 2000, he conducted Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte for the Lisbon Opera as well as Purcell’s King Arthur and Rameau’s Platée. Mr. Christophers made an acclaimed debut with English National Opera (ENO) conducting Monteverdi’s The Coronation of Poppea, and has since conducted productions of Gluck’s Orfeo and Handel’s Ariodante at ENO as well as the UK premiere of Messager’s Fortunio for Grange Park Opera. In 2006, Mozart's anniversary year, he conducted a new production of Mitridate for the Granada Festival. After the outstanding success of Handel’s Semele and Hercules and Mozart’s Ascanio in Alba at Buxton Opera, he returned in 2008 to conduct a highly acclaimed new production of Handel’s Samson. In October 2008, Mr. Christophers will be awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Music from the University of Leicester.

Harry Christophers joins the Handel and Haydn Society as Artistic Director on September 26, 2008.He conducts the 2008-2009 season opener of "Celebrate Handel!" on October 3 and 5, 2008.