Edward Gardner (born 1974, Gloucester) is a British conductor.

Gardner sang as a chorister at Gloucester Cathedral. As a youth, he played piano, clarinet and organ. He attended the King's School, Gloucester and Eton College. At the University of Cambridge, he continued as a music student, and was a choral scholar in King's College Choir. He had begun choral conducting at Eton, and continued conducting at Cambridge. He also studied at the Royal Academy of Music, where his teachers included Colin Metters.He graduated from the RAM in 2000.

From 1997 until 2002, Gardner was Musical Director of Wokingham Choral Society, a post previously held by Graeme Jenkins, Paul Daniel, and Stephen Layton. In 1999, whilst still a student at the Royal Academy of Music, Gardner became a repetiteur at the Salzburg Festival at the invitation of Michael Gielen, when another repetiteur had become ill.Gardner subsequently served as an assistant conductor to Mark Elder at The Hallé Orchestra for 3 years.In 2003, Gardner was named music director of Glyndebourne on Tour and formally took up the post in 2004.He relinquished this post in 2007.

In 2005, Gardner was a winner of the Young Artist prize of the Royal Philharmonic Society.[8] In March 2006, he was appointed music director of English National Opera.He formally took up the post in May 2007, with an initial contract of 3 years. Gardner has conducted several recordings for EMI Classics, including collaborations with Alison Balsom and Kate Royal. He has also signed a recording contract with Chandos Records.In September 2010, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra announced the appointment of Gardner as its next principal guest conductor, effective September 2011, with an initial contract of 3 years, for 3–4 weeks of concerts per season.

In private life, Gardner has been in a relationship with Alison Balsom since early 2009. They have a son, Charlie, born in March 2010. The family reside in London.