CONDUCTING AND VIOLIN PERFORMANCE
“Chris is one of the most compelling and irresistible musicians I have ever met. His conducting has an urgency and a beauty … a real pleasure to play for.”
Christopher is known for his compelling musicianship and the diversity of his musical expertise.
He has conducted the BBC Philharmonic and Concert Orchestras, the Royal Scottish National, Norwegian Radio, Iceland Symphony, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Rambert Dance Company and Glossop Festival Orchestras.
“I thoroughly enjoyed this fantastically paced and dramatic performance. I hope to get the chance to work with him again.”
Highlights include symphonies by Lutoslawski, Prokofiev, Mahler, Halvorsen, Mozart, Beethoven, and Bach Passions. His conducting has included collaborations with such extraordinary and diverse artists as Jonathan Lemalu, Nicholas Mulroy, Matthew Brook, Matthew Truscott, John Grant, Maximo Park, and the wonderful dancers of Rambert Dance Company.
“Chris has a natural musicianship and a wonderful ear which delves deep into the most complex scores.”
Exciting smaller scale work includes new operas Love Speaks by Kevan O’Reilly and Jenny Knotts and Gareth Williams’ The Sloans Project with Noise Opera, a new piece With Stolen Fire by Charlie Piper with Ensemble 360, and the not-so-new Mahler Symphony No.4 with the Fews Ensemble. Christopher is very much enjoying a collaboration with Luminosa Ensemble, an extraordinary string orchestra newly formed in the beautiful City of Galway. He has conducted them in programmes including Ina Boyle, Tchaikovsy, Stravinsky and T.C.Kelly, importantly bringing wonderful lesser-known music alongside proven classics to areas other than the large metropoles.
As well as professional ensembles, Christopher loves working with younger and amateur groups. Conducting regularly at the universities of St Andrews, Edinburgh and Goldsmiths, Nottingham Youth Orchestra, the Highlands Youth Orchestra and Amicus Orchestra he has chosen, rehearsed and then performed lots of extraordinary orchestral repertoire with wonderfully skilled and open-minded musicians.
“An inspirational Leader and Director, as a person Chris also has great integrity, warmth and humour.”
As a violinist Christopher was Leader of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, directing them and appearing as soloist at the Edinburgh International Festival, the Aldeburgh Festival, at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam and throughout Britain and Europe. He has led the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, touring widely with Murray Perahia, Joshua Bell and Sir Neville Marriner, and has also played in principal positions with the Royal Opera House Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Ensemble Moderne and many others.
A passionate chamber musician, Christopher spent many happy hours with groups Quince Quartet and Trio Ligeti and collaborating with wonderful artists such as Christian Zacharius, Artur Pizarro, Laurence Power, Simon Crawford-Philips and Richard Egarr. As a soloist his repertoire is wide, ranging from the Baroque to specially commissioned works.
“A performance with Chris is to be living truly in the moment. He manages with exhilarating honesty and faultless musicianship to remind us of music’s great importance in the world.”