John Warner

What was abundantly clear, even from the balcony, however, was how well Warner knew and loved the score, and how firmly the orchestra trusted in his interpretation and authority in this performance. [Mahler Symphony No. 6]

I detected a marked degree of respect and affection towards him from his players suggestive of, among other virtues, a collaborative approach.

Warner’s interpretation of the third movement [of Sibelius's Fifth Symphony] showed an extraordinary intuition for pacing.

'The most viscerally exciting I have ever heard' [Mahler's Sixth Symphony]

This magnificent pacing of the Andante was no doubt achieved because of the musical sensitivity and vision of conductor John Warner, who gracefully guided the ensemble through this luscious movement. [Mahler Symphony No. 6]

Conductor John Warner demonstrated impressive control of tempi and dynamics in [Richard Strauss's 'Metamorphosen'], imbuing this slowly-developing work with a clear sense of shape and direction.

'A gripping level of intensity'

Musical director John Warner was responsible for an impressive arrangement of the entire score for piano, violin, and cello that worked notably well as an orchestral reduction. He led the instrumentalists proficiently throughout from the keyboard.

John Warner not only maintained a constant rapport with his soloist, but marshalled the ensemble with the clear but fluent style of a conductor well beyond his years.

By now it was evident that Mr Warner would not be making of himself the focal point of the performance. His movements were restrained and precise, every one of them in the service of Mahler's score.

Warner marshalled his forces to produce an impressive sound through the forte sections of the first movement [of Rachmaninoff's Second Symphony], whilst deftly balancing this with subtlety in the more delicate sections.

Warner gracefully handled the movement’s potentially awkward transitions sections, and expertly led the ensemble to the work’s understated close. [Mahler Symphony No. 4, finale]

Warner and the orchestra beautifully captured the enigmatic dualism that characterises the work... a formidable rendition of the Seventh [Symphony of Sibelius].

His conducting style visually is a compact one, unshowy but intense.

Warner curated the perfect program; the works were all inspired by poetry, and showed complementing nationalistic interpretations of late Romantic ideals.

A three-piece band under John Warner gave a lively rendering.

John Warner, leading the accompaniment from the piano, delivers Smyth’s score (in a piano trio) with exceptional care and skill [...] Disarming, surprising and brilliant.

I detected a marked degree of respect and affection towards him from his players suggestive of, among other virtues, a collaborative approach.