British conductor Nicholas Collon is founder and principal conductor of the Aurora Orchestra and Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, of which he is the first non-Finnish conductor to hold this position.

He is considered a natural communicator, an innovative programmer, and a high-level performer with a wide repertoire. Under his baton, the Aurora Orchestra has gained notoriety for its eclectic repertoire and for performing simple symphonies from memory, as well as becoming the resident orchestra at the Southbank Centre, which performs every year at the BBC Proms.

Collon is renowned for his elegant conducting, insightful musical intelligence, and inspiring musical interpretation. He was the principal conductor of the Residentie Orchestra from 2016 to 2021, and principal guest conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra and the Gürzenich Orchestra from 2017 to 2022. He has also received numerous invitations from orchestras such as the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, the Orchestre National de France, several symphony orchestras and many of the main orchestras of the United Kingdom.

In the summer of 2022, he conducted the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Aurora Orchestra at the BBC Proms. During the 2022-2023 season he toured Germany with both orchestras and toured Switzerland with the Güzernich Orchestra.

In May 2022, Ondine released his first commercial recording: the Symphony No. 7 and King Kristian II Suites and Pelléas et Mélisande by Sibelius. In autumn 2022 he released an album that was distinguished with the Diapason d’Or. And he has released conceptual avant-garde recordings with the Aurora Orchestra for Deutsche Grammophon (September 2020) and Warner Classics.

Collon has conducted over 200 new works and has conducted operas at the English National Opera, the Cologne Opera and Glyndebourne on Tour, among others. A trained violist, he also studied organ at Clare College, Cambridge University.