Julian Wilkins
Winter conductor 2007
Julian Wilkins pursues a successful freelance career as conductor, pianist and organist, working throughout the UK and overseas with prestigious musical organisations including the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Birmingham Opera Company, Birmingham Conservatoire, and the Association of British Choral Directors.
Educated at Wells Cathedral School as a chorister and specialist musician, and St Catharine's College, Cambridge as an organ scholar, Julian has performed in many of the country’s cathedrals and leading concert venues as a soloist and accompanist, including engagements with Crispian Steel Perkins, Stephen Isserlis, Keel Watson and the dynamic percussionist Simone Rebello. He has appeared on BBC and Independent television and radio, and on the film soundtrack "The Last Temptation of Christ" – part of which can be heard in a recent TV advertising campaign for Cancer Research UK.
Previous appointments include: Head of Music at Coleridge Community College, Cambridge; Assistant Organist and Director of Music at Great St Mary’s, The University Church, Cambridge; and Assistant Director of Cantate Youth Choir (Sainsbury’s Children’s Choir of the Year 2000); coaching at Hills Road Sixth Form College, Cambridge, and running a private teaching practice.
In addition to his current work as Music Director of Cambridge Chorale, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough County Youth Choir, and Cambridge Primary Schools’ Singing Network, he is Assistant Conductor and Accompanist of the City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus, working with Simon Halsey to prepare the chorus for conductors such as Sakari Oramo, Martyn Brabbins, Peter Schreier, James MacMillan and Sir Charles Mackerras. As a member of the teaching faculty at Canford Summer School of Music, he directs the Choral Course, and with David Lawrence co-directs the Art of Choral Direction Course. Julian is also in demand as a recitalist, accompanist and choral workshop leader, popular with musicians and audiences of all ages, and has recently worked as an adjudicator for the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition.
David Lawrence - Conductor
David Lawrence is one of the UK's most versatile choral conductors whose posts currently include Associate Conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus, Choir Leader of the City of Birmingham Young Voices, Musical Director of The Sage Gateshead's Regional Youth Choir, Quay Voices, and he is a regular guest conductor of the Netherlands Radio Choir. He is thrilled to have been recently appointed as Artistic Director of the Midlands Hospitals’ Choir, which he has conducted since 1997.
David has particular experience in the world of contemporary music, having worked closely with Stockhausen conducting the German premiere of Engelprozessionen, with John Adams preparing the Dutch premiere of A Flowering Tree, as well as preparing and conducting premiere performances by Per Nørgård, Pierre Boulez, Iannis Xenakis, Mauricio Kagel, Graham Fitkin, James Wood, Bob Chilcott and others. He has recently worked with the London Philharmonic Choir, the Hallé Choir, the Philharmonia Chorus and the New London Chamber Choir.
David's work has taken him to India, Canada, South America, throughout Europe and will make his fourth visit to Australia in May 2009. He continues to work for the UK's leading choral organisations, is a popular leader of choral workshops and a well known trainer of choral conductors. David has adjudicated at international choral festivals as well as for the BBC Choir of the Year and Young Musician of the Year competitions. He recently featured in an hour’s documentary on BBC Television, conducting Tallis’ 40 part motet Spem in Alium sung by over 700 people, and will often be found conducting on BBC TV's Songs of Praise.
As Principal Conductor of Young Voices, David directs an annual series of concerts with some choirs incorporating over 7,500 singers, and consequently holds the Guinness World Record for conducting the UK's largest choir. David continues to work with Sinfonia Viva as their Choral Consultant, and recently conducted large scale education projects for the Orchestra of Welsh National Opera and the English Symphony Orchestra. In November 2008 he makes his US debut in Philadelphia, and in 2009 will be the director of the National Youth Choir of Wales.
Contact details:
Agent 01494 866389 – Val Withams, Choral Connections
