Born in Sussex, Wigglesworth attended Bryanston School,[2] Manchester University, and the Royal Academy of Music in London..[3] He won the Kondrashin Conducting Competition in Amsterdam in 1989.
In April 2006, Wigglesworth had been named the next music director of the La Monnaie opera, Brussels, succeeding Kazushi Ono.
[12] In January 2014, English National Opera (ENO) named Wigglesworth its next music director, succeeding Edward Gardner effective September 2015.
[16] In March 2024, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra announced the appointment of Wigglesworth as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2024-2025 season, with an initial contract of four years.
[17] In May 2024, the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra announced the appointment of Wigglesworth as its next chief conductor, effective January 2025, with an initial contract of three years.