RORY MACDONALD was born in Stirling and studied conducting with David Zinman, Jorma Panula and Oliver Knussen, after obtaining a first class honours degree in music from Cambridge University. Still in his mid-twenties, he has gained a wealth of experience working with some of Europe's most illustrious musicians and institutions. He is on the music staff of the Royal Opera house, Covent Garden, and in January 2006 he became Assistant Conductor at the Hallé Orchestra, where he is collaborating with Mark Elder and conducting the Hallé Youth Orchestra.

Following his successful term as Assistant Conductor to Iván Fischer at the Budapest Festival Orchestra and Lyon Opera (2001-2003) he made his concert debut with the Budapest Festival Orchestra in March 2003. In addition he assisted Fischer at the Paris National Opera. In summer 2003 he assisted Mark Wigglesworth at Glyndebourne Festival Opera on Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro, and in autumn 2003 he conducted two performances of the same composer's Idomeneo, after assisting Kenneth Montgomery on this Glyndebourne Touring Opera production. He returned to Glyndebourne in 2004 to assist Louis Langrée on Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande, and worked at English National Opera on Puccini's Tosca.

In September 2004 he joined the Jette Parker (formerly Vilar) Young Artists Programme at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, where he conducted Philip Glass's Orphée in the Linbury Studio. He also worked with the Royal Opera's Music Director, Antonio Pappano, on Wagner's Das Rheingold and Verdi's Otello; this season they are working together on Wagner's Götterdämmerung, Berg's Wozzeck and Puccini's Tosca.

In 2005 Rory Macdonald assisted Esa-Pekka Salonen on Wagner's Tristan und Isolde for Paris National Opera. He conducted Puccini's La Bohème with the Royal Danish Touring Opera and Jonathan Dove's Pig and Greed for Glyndebourne Festival's Jerwood Space.

The position of Assistant Conductor is jointly funded by the Hallé, the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and the Musicians Benevolent Fund.