The Midland Chamber Orchestra
William has been conducting the Midland Chamber Orchestra since September 2018, and conducted their inaugural concert in December, with Mozart's "Symphony No.40 in G minor", Handel's "Arrival of the Queen of Sheba" and Massenet's "Last Sleep of the Virgin" at St Paul's Church in the Jewellery Quarter of Birmingham. As music director for the MCO, William has continued to grow the membership of the orchestra, and established working relations with the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. Under William's leadership, the orchestra have been renewed for future seasons of concerts at St Mary's Church, Moseley. In 2019 they performed their first concert with a choir, Vivat, and were one of very few Birmingham orchestras which continued to rehearse and perform online during the Covid-19 lockdowns (following government guidelines). Later this year, MCO look forward to participating at St Hilda's "Three Shires Festival" in Smethwick this July. For information regarding the Midland Chamber Orchestra, please visit their social media: Birmingham Schools' String Sinfonia In January 2023 William became the conductor for Birmingham Schools' String Sinfonia, an intermediate string orchestra (Grade 5-7) run by Services for Education (Birmingham Music Service). His first concert with them at the Ruddock Performing Arts Centre featured a spectacular performance of the Handel's "Royal Fireworks Music". This was fortuitous, for BSSS would have the opportunity to repeat their highly appropriate programme for the King's Coronation Festival, held outdoors at the Midland Arts Centre. William was also invited to guest conduct the Birmingham Schools' Symphony Orchestra on this special occasion, including a world premiere of Music For Youth's commissioned fanfare "Looking Forward". In July of the same year William had his Symphony Hall conducting debut, Birmingham's most prestigious concert venue. For more details on SfE's central ensembles, please visit: www.servicesforeducation.co.uk/central-ensembles Biography
William's passion for conducting began from a young age, and his first formal lessons began at Chetham's School of Music, under the tutelage of Stephen Threlfall, the Music Director. Since then he has received valuable guidance from Denise Ham, George Hurst, Rodolfo Saglimbeni, Robert Houlihan, Michael Seal, Tim Reynish, Mark Heron, and flourished as a conductor. During his years in higher education he founded, managed and conducted his own orchestra, which ran successful concerts every semester for 3 years. These themed concerts included Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker Suite Op.71a" and Verdi's "La Forza del Destino Overture". In addition from 2006 he conducted the University of Manchester's Choir And Orchestra Society in their conductors' absence for rehearsals and concerts, and in his final concert he directed the orchestra with Howard Shore's "Lord of the Rings Suite - The Fellowship of the Ring" in summer 2011. During this time he also led the University of Manchester's Harmony Gospel Choir and co-led the Burlington Singers. In 2012 he conducted an arrangment of Bizet's "Overture to Carmen" with the Old Swinford Hospital Symphony Orchestra, and in the following academic year he led conducting workshops for students at Old Swinford Hospital School. Before departing, William rehearsed and conducted the Old Swinford Hospital Chamber Orchestra on their 'adventure week' music tour, performing at primary schools and churches local to Stourbridge. Repertoire included Mozart's "Symphony No.41 - Jupiter", Haydn's "Piano Concerto in D" and Vivaldi's "Concerto for 2 Cellos in G minor". In September 2017 William conducted the Bournville Strings in their annual charity concert, performing Janacek's "Idyll Suite" and Vivaldi's "Concerto for Two Cellos in G minor". Repertoire (non-exhaustive)
Anderson Sleigh Ride, Christmas Festival Overture JC Bach Sinfonia Op.18 No.2 in B flat Bartok Dance Suite, Romanian Folk Dances Beethoven Egmont Overture, Romances for Violin & Orchestra, Symphony No.5 in C minor Bizet Carmen Suites Nos. 1 & 2 Boyce Symphony No.2 in A Bruch Violin Concerto No.1 in G minor Op.26 Cherubini Symphony in D Dvorak Symphony No.9 “New World” Elgar Cockaigne Overture, Mina, Salut d’Amour Glinka Overture to “A Life For The Tsar” Gounod Petite Smphonie Handel Concerto Grosso Op.3 No.5 in D minor Haydn Piano Concerto in D, Horn Concerto in D, Overture to ‘Acide e Galatea’, Symphonies Nos. 87, 93, 97 Hummel Introduction, Theme and Variations Op.102 for oboe and orchestra Lane Overture on French Carols, Wassail Dances Mozart Piano Concerto No.20 in D minor, Violin Concerto No.4 in D, Horn Concerto No.3 in Eb, Overtures to “La Clemenza de Tito” & “The Impresario”, Symphonies Nos. 38-41 Prokofiev Troika from Lieutenant Kije Suite Op.60, Symphony No.1 “Classical” Schubert Symphonies Nos. 1, 5 & 6 Shore The Lord of the Rings Suite: The Fellowship of the Ring (arr. Witney) Stanford Clarinet Concerto in A minor Op.80 Tchaikovsky Nutcracker Suite Op.71a Telemann Ouverture-Suite TWV 55:11 'La Bourse' Verdi La Forza del Destino Overture Vivaldi Concerto for 2 Cellos in G minor, Gloria Wagner Die Meistersingers von Nürnberg Overture Weber Clarinet Concerto No.1 in F minor |
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