Eden Saunders is at the forefront of a generation expanding what a life in classical music looks like. From night-time jogs with Shostakovich to dance parties and video-game scores, he pairs endless curiosity with a gift for connecting the dots.
Artist Playbook caught up with the Hong Kong-based musician to talk aboutthe process of becoming a conductor.
“Music has always been the lens through which I see the world.”
How did your journey into conducting begin?
The first time I ever conducted was with the CBSO Youth Orchestra. I signed up to have a go at Beethoven’s Fifth and, honestly, I was awful! But something clicked, and I got “stick fever.” When I went on to study at the Royal Northern College of Music, conducting became a bigger part of my musical life. Learning with Mark Heron reshaped the way I thought about what a conductor actually does. I’ve been fascinated ever since.
What was it like to wake up and find the Concertgebouw giving you tips on how to conduct Gangnam Style?
Completely surreal and absolutely hilarious. Orchestras I’ve admired for as long as I can remember, joining in with something I’d made was pretty incredible.
It also reminded me that the classical music world can be fun! If the Concertgebouw can have a laugh about Gangnam Style with me, I must be doing something right. Hopefully, I’ll get to do that iconic Concertgebouw walk-in one day, and this will come full circle.
You weave classical music naturally into everyday life, even using Khachaturian for endurance runs. What helps you see past the usual walls between the concert hall and the rest of life?
For me, Music IS life and reflects human experience, so it’s just what I live and breathe. It’s not so much that I see past the concert hall; it’s that music has always been my favourite lens through which I see the whole world.
You’re living in Hong Kong these days. How is that environment shaping you?
Hong Kong is an incredible place to be, and I think it’s shaping me as a person and, therefore, as a musician. I’m meeting people from different countries, cultures, and musical backgrounds, and discovering a completely different sonic environment.
Being somewhere so international makes you think differently about who music is for and how to connect with audiences.
Your sensibility captures classical music as a secret garden, a quirky community, and a deep calling all at once. How do you hold those different sides together?
I have ADHD, so being one-dimensional was probably never an option for me. I’ve always been intensely curious about things, and my musical life naturally reflects that. I can be obsessed with a symphony and equally excited about a pop arrangement, a metal track, or a video-game score. I don’t see those as competing — they all feed into who I am as a musician, which helps my ability to collaborate. Life is too extraordinary for me to want to stay in one box.
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