Nicholas Carter has found success as an opera and symphonic conductor well beyond his native Australia. In 2010, he caught the attention of Vladimir Ashkenazy, who first brought Carter on as assistant conductor with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra; Ashkenazy later appointed him as associate conductor. After two seasons as associate guest conductor, Carter was named the principal conductor of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra in 2016. He remained in that post until 2019. That year, he made his recording debut, leading the Adelaide Symphony with soprano saxophonist Amy Dickson on her album In Circles. In 2021, he became the chief conductor and co-opera director of Oper Bern, which has brought with it appearances leading the Berner Symphonieorchester. A major component of his early tenure at Bern has been a new presentation of Wagner's Ring Cycle.