In 2012, the English Symphony Orchestra (ESO) named Woods as artistic director of its Malvern concert series, during an interregnum period for the orchestra. In 2013, the ESO elevated Woods to the post of principal conductor, and in 2015, to artistic director. During his ESO tenure, Woods has premiered, commissioned and made recordings of new works by Robert Fokkens, David Matthews, Emily Doolittle, Tom Kraines, Kile Smith, Geoffrey Gordon, Deborah Pritchard, Stephen Gerber, Nimrod Borenstein, Toby Young, Paul Patterson, Hans Gál, Donald Fraser, James Francis Brown and Jesse Jones. Woods led the ESO in its first full-length opera performance, of "Jane Eyre" by John Joubert, given its world premiere in October 2016.