A rising star on the podium and praised for his dynamic musicianship, infectious energy and engaging presence, Enyi Okpara joins the London Philharmonic Orchestra as Fellow Conductor for the 2026/27 season. This follows two seasons as Calleva Assistant Conductor of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, after winning the orchestra’s Calleva Conducting Competition in 2024. In recognition of his growing reputation, he was named one of the UK’s “30 incredible musicians under 30” on Classic FM’s Rising Stars list.

As Fellow Conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Enyi will make his conducting debut at the Royal Festival Hall, as part of the Future Firsts programme, and at the orchestra’s Eastbourne concert series. He will also assist Ed Gardner, Karina Canellakis, and Vladimir Jurowski throughout the 2026/27 season. Elsewhere, he will debut with the Royal Northern Sinfonia in an all-English programme, the Orchestre national Avignon-Provence with a new work by Fabien Cali and will conduct the London Symphony Orchestra in a family concert. A strong advocate for outreach work and widening opportunities, Enyi continues his relationship with the National Children’s Orchestra and will conduct side-by-side projects with both the London Symphony Orchestra and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.

Enyi has made notable debuts with Ulster Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Manchester Camerata, Britten Sinfonia, Multi-Story Orchestra, and Orchestra of the Swan. Recent highlights also include projects with Chineke! Orchestra involving collaborations with George the Poet and Ayanna Witter-Johnson. During his time as Calleva Assistant Conductor, Okpara conducted the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in various performances across the country, including six weeks in the BSO’s main season series and his Royal Albert Hall debut for Classic FM Live at 25. Enyi ‘s repertoire ranges from the great works of the 19th and 20th centuries and the English composers Vaughan Williams, Holst, and Elgar to contemporary music, which lies at the heart of his adventurous artistic voice.

He has performed with leading soloists including Anna Lapwood, Martin James Bartlett, Alim Beisembayev, Clare Hammond, Ayanna Witter-Johnson, Julian Bliss, Johannes Moser, Esther Abrami, Danny Driver, Milly Forrest, Thomas Luke, Fergus McCreadie and Joe Stilgoe.

His dedication to nurturing the next generation of musicians is reflected in his appointment as Conductor-in-Residence with the London Schools Symphony Orchestra in 2023/24. He is the Founder and Artistic Director of Elysium Music, a charity that creates collaborative projects between young professional musicians and children. Through side-by-side performances, workshops, and educational resources, the organisation bridges the gap between music education in schools and conservatoire training, giving young musicians first-hand experience of working alongside professional performers.

Growing up in North London, Enyi’s musical journey started initially as a percussionist and saxophonist and member of the Camden Music Hub. He studied conducting with Sian Edwards at the Royal Academy of Music, where he held the Derek Butler Award. He graduated in 2024 with Distinction, was awarded a DipRAM prize for outstanding final recital, won the Conducting Prize for highest final recital mark, and won HRH Princess Alice, The Duchess of Gloucester Prize for exemplary studentship and performance at graduation. Enyi recently appeared on BBC Radio 3’s "This Classical Life" presented by Jess Gillam, and the podcast "Things People Do", hosted by Joe Marler and Tom Fordyce.