Matthew Halls - Oregon Festival - Norman Lebrecht

It's never easy to follow a founder, and Helmut Rilling has led the Oregon Bach Festival for all of 41 years. The search for a successor has taken two years and the successful candidate was named today.

He is Matthew Halls, 35, an English harpsichordist, organist and conductor. Halls led the Retrospect Ensemble, which branched out from the King's Consort after its founder, Robert King, was jailed for indecent assault. Lately, he has been conducting symphony orchestras with conspicuous success. He won the Oregon post fair and square from several impressive candidates.