Dinis Sousa, born in 1988, is a distinguished Portuguese conductor whose dynamic career has garnered international acclaim. As of 2025, he holds the position of Principal Conductor with the Royal Northern Sinfonia (RNS) and serves as the Associate Conductor for the Monteverdi Choir and Orchestras (MCO). He is also the Founder and Artistic Director of Orquestra XXI, an innovative ensemble that unites Portuguese musicians from around the globe.
Early Life and Education
Sousa’s formative years were marked by a profound engagement with music. He pursued his studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, where he specialized in conducting under the guidance of Sian Edwards and Timothy Redmond, and honed his piano skills with Philip Jenkins and Martin Roscoe. During his tenure at Guildhall, Sousa distinguished himself by conducting a diverse array of projects, including a performance of Bach’s St. John Passion at Milton Court and a staged production of Harrison Birtwistle’s Down by the Greenwood Side at the Silk Street Theatre. His exceptional contributions earned him the Conducting Fellowship at the institution.
Orquestra XXI: A Vision Realized
In 2013, Sousa founded Orquestra XXI, an award-winning orchestra that brings together some of the finest young Portuguese musicians from around the world. The ensemble has quickly established itself as a leading force in Portugal’s classical music scene, performing regularly in the country’s most prestigious concert halls. Recent highlights include opening the Gulbenkian Foundation’s season and a critically acclaimed tour of Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 to celebrate the orchestra’s 10th anniversary. In recognition of his work with Orquestra XXI, Sousa was awarded the title of Knight of the Order of Prince Henry in Portugal.
Collaboration with Sir John Eliot Gardiner and the Monteverdi Choir and Orchestras
Sousa’s professional journey took a significant turn in 2018 when he was appointed as the first-ever Assistant Conductor of the Monteverdi Choir and Orchestras, working closely with the esteemed Sir John Eliot Gardiner. This role involved collaborations with the English Baroque Soloists and the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique. Notable achievements during this period include co-conducting the Monteverdi Choir in Berlioz’s Roméo et Juliette at the BBC Proms and leading the English Baroque Soloists in performances at the Cartagena International Music Festival in Colombia.
Principal Conductor of the Royal Northern Sinfonia
In March 2021, Sousa was appointed as the Principal Conductor of the Royal Northern Sinfonia, the only full-time chamber orchestra based at the Sage Gateshead cultural center in Newcastle, northern England. He officially began his tenure in September 2021. Since assuming this role, Sousa has led the orchestra in a complete Schumann symphony cycle in 2023/24, as well as a performance of Schumann’s Das Paradies und die Peri, which received a five-star review from The Times. Other highlights with the RNS include a world premiere by Cassandra Miller, a UK tour, a return visit to the BBC Proms, and collaborations with renowned soloists such as Christian Tetzlaff, Steven Isserlis, and Elisabeth Leonskaja.
Recent Accomplishments and Future Endeavors
Sousa’s work with the Monteverdi Choir and Orchestras has continued to garner critical acclaim. In May 2024, he conducted a complete Beethoven symphony cycle in London and at the Philharmonie de Paris. Among many five-star reviews, Hugh Canning described the cycle as “an unforgettable performance.” In 2023, he received widespread praise for Berlioz’s Les Troyens at the Salzburg Festival, Berlin Musikfest, and the BBC Proms, with The Guardian noting that “Sousa was electrifying in moments of grandeur, high drama, and emotional intensity.” In the autumn of 2023, he also made his Carnegie Hall debut, conducting the Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists in two programs of Bach and Handel.
As a guest conductor, Sousa made debuts in 2023/24 with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (Brahms’ German Requiem with Christian Gerhaher, Lenneke Ruiten, and the Monteverdi Choir) and the Swedish Radio Symphony. In the 2024/25 season, he is set to debut with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Bergen Philharmonic, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra (Dublin), Royal Danish Opera Orchestra, and Orchestre Symphonique de Québec. He will also return to the Euskadiko (Basque National) Orchestra and the Ulster Orchestra. His operatic experience includes Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia and Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande, and in 2025, he is slated to lead a new production of Mozart’s Così fan tutte for Graz Opera.
Honors and Recognitions
In recognition of his outstanding contributions to music, Sousa was awarded the Critics’ Circle Young Talent Award for 2023. The association highlighted his “storming performances of Berlioz’s Les Troyens in London, Salzburg, and Berlin” in 2023. The Guardian commented that “Sousa was electrifying in moments of grandeur, high drama, and emotional intensity.” The Critics’ Circle further noted that “Sousa has the surest feel for both the detail and the grand sweep of a score, and always brings an electric sense of excitement and drama to his conducting.”
