Abroad, mostly in Europe, he has appeared at major festivals, and conducted many well-known orchestras including the Beyerischer Rundfunk Symphony, the Zurich Tonhalle, the Berlin Radio Symphony, the Stockholm Philharmonic, the Swedish Radio Symphony, the Residentie Orchestra in the Hague, the Seattle Symphony, the French National Radio Symphony, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, the Austrian Radio orchestra, and the Royal Flanders Philharmonic. He has toured Australia, conducting the Sydney, Melbourne and Queensland Symphony Orchestras, and appearing at the Brisbane Biennial. He has also toured Japan with the London Sinfonietta, an orchestra he has conducted regularly both in the U.K. and abroad from the beginning of his career.
His operatic achievements cover a wide repertoire and include the world premiere of Legeti's 'Le Grande Marcabre' at the Royal Opera in Stockholm, followed by productions of the same work in Hamburg, Paris, and London. Other productions include 'La Clemenza di Tito' and 'Peter Grimes' in Stockholm, 'I Pagliacci' and Chaynes' award-winning 'Erzsebet' in Paris, 'The House of the Dead' in Gothenburg, 'Tosca' in Oslo, 'King Priam' in Antwerp, 'The Rakes Progress' in Brussels, 'Billy Budd' in Cologne and 'Boris Godunov' at English National Opera in London, an opera he has also conducted for the Australian opera at the Syndey Opera House. In 1985 he made his debut at Covent Garden with Tippet's 'King Priam' which he later performed with the same company at the Athens Festival. For Glyndenbourne he conducted 'The Barber of Seville', Falstaff, Nigel Osbourne's much admired 'The Electrification of the Soviet Union' and most recently, the world premiere of Birtwhistle's 'The Second MRS. Kong'. In 1986 he conducted Birtwhistle's 'The Mask of Orpheus' for the National Opera to great critical acclaim. He conducted the world premiere of Birtwhistle's 'Gawain' at the Royal Opera House, Covent garden in May 1991 and the revival in 1994, which will be released by Collins Classics.
Howarth was Principal Guest Conductor of the English Northern Philharmonia from 1985 - 1989. In addition to conducting many concerts with this orchestra, he appears frequently with the sister company, Opera North, in repertoire which has included 'Nabucco', 'la boheme', 'Katya Kabanova', 'A Midsummer Night's Dream','the Marriage of Figaro', the British premiere of Nielsen's 'Masquerade', 'The Jewel Box', and 'Billy Budd'.
He works frequently with other U.K. orchestras, especially the BBC orchestras (Symphony, Philharmonic & Scottish), and the London Philharmonic. He retains an interest in composing, especially, as a former trumpet player, for brass instruments. His works are published by Chester Music and Novello, and are much recorded, particularly on the Decca label.
