Evans Theatre
Wilmslow
Leisure Centre
Tickets
01925 756144
| Kenneth Woods | Juan Ortuńo |
| Peter Stallworthy | Mark Heron |
| Tom Newall | |
Kenneth Woods
Hailed by the Washington Post as a "true star" of the podium, conductor, cellist and author Kenneth Woods has worked with many orchestras of international distinction including the National Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Northern Sinfonia, and the State of Mexico Symphony Orchestra. He has also appeared on the stages of some of the world's leading music festivals, including Aspen, Lucerne, Round Top and Scotia. His work on the concert platform and in the recording studio has led to numerous broadcasts on BBC Radio 3, National Public Radio, and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
In 2010, Kenneth Woods was appointed Principal Guest Conductor of Orchestra of the Swan, with whom he made his debut in the final concert of their Spring Sounds Festival. In December 2010, Kenneth recorded the first disc in a series pairing the complete symphonies of Robert Schumann and Austrian émigré composer Hans Gál. This world-premiere recording of the Gál Third Symphony coincided with its first performance in over 55 years. The Gal/Schuman project follows on from the success of his commercial recording debut as a conductor in sessions for Avie Records with the Northern Sinfonia in 2009. That disc of world-premiere recordings of music by Hans Gál has been hailed by The Strad, Classical Music, Classical CD Reviews and Musical Pointers for its "committed performances", "first class" and "quick witted" playing, whilst Gramophone underlined Woods' "highly polished account, with orchestral playing throughout most assured." In May, Somm Records releases Woods' first recording of the music of Gustav Mahler (Schoenberg's chamber ensemble versions of Das Lied von der Erde and Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen), a composer with whom Woods is closely associated. This spring, Woods also conducts world-premiere recordings of James Schlefer's Concerto for Shakuhachi and "Haru no Umi" by Michiyo Miyagi for Parma Recordings.
As music director of the Oregon East Symphony from 2000-9, he transformed a tiny orchestra in a remote, rural area into possibly the most talked-about orchestra in the Pacific Northwest, winning universal praise for their nationally celebrated "Redneck Mahler" cycle, progressive programming and innovative youth programmes. Other permanent affiliations include the Contemporary Music Ensemble of Wales (with whom he is often heard on BBC Radio 3), and the Rose City Chamber Orchestra of Portland, Oregon. In June 2010, he was invited by the Stradivari Trust to conduct their 25th anniversary concert, featuring a string orchestra made up of many of the world's leading soloists and chamber musicians including Natalie Clein, Lawrence Power, Guy Johnston, Matthew Trussler and the Endellion and Fitzwilliam String Quartets. Kenneth's blog, A View from the Podium , is one of the 25 most popular classical music blogs in the world.
Peter Stallworthy
Peter began studying the piano at the age of 7 and some six years later won a prize in the National Chopin Competition in London. He studied music at Kings College, London, with Thurston Dart and then at the Royal Manchester College of Music (now the Royal Northern College of Music) with Ryszard Bakst, where he was awarded the Ricordi prize for conducting.
Peter was the founder conductor of the Manchester Sinfonia. He has held several posts in the region, including conductor of the Royal Northern College of Music Chamber Orchestra, several choirs, and the Burnley Municipal Choir and Orchestra. He has participated in a number of conducting seminars with George Hurst and Maurice Handford, whom he succeeded as conductor of the Wilmslow Symphony Orchestra before moving to London.
Now back in the North West, Peter is becoming increasingly involved with choral and instrumental groups in the region and was appointed conductor of The Barnby Choir in September 1999. He is also conductor of the North Staffordshire Symphony Orchestra, an appointment he has held since 2002. He is married to Hilary and lives in Middlewich.
Mark HeronMark Heron studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama and the Royal Northern College of Music. Following a successful chamber music career with the Nemo Brass Quintet and freelance work with many of the UK's professional symphony orchestras, Mark's career is now focused almost exclusively on conducting.
His diverse musical interests have resulted in an unusually wide range of work: symphony, chamber and wind orchestras, contemporary music and opera all feature regularly in his schedule. Mark is also committed to working with non-professional and young musicians as well as professionals.
Mark works regularly with the Pori Sinfonietta in Finland, whom he first conducted in 2002. Other overseas professional orchestras he has worked with recently include the Moscow Chamber Orchestra, Pärnu City Orchestra, St Petersburg Academic Symphony Orchestra and Kaiserlauten Symphony Orchestra. In the UK he is the Music Director of the Liverpool Mozart Orchestra and the Manchester University Symphony Orchestra and works with various orchestras and ensembles at the Royal Northern College of Music and at Manchester University. Future plans include the Nottingham Philharmonic, New Bristol Sinfonia and Hallam Sinfonia as well as education projects with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.
Mark has a strong interest in contemporary music. He has led several commissioning projects involving composers from the UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Finland and United States and has over 20 world, European and UK premieres to his name. In April 2006 he conducted the European premiere of leading American composer Daron Hagen's opera Bandanna.
Alongside his conducting engagements, Mark writes regularly for a variety of musical journals and websites and teaches conducting at the RNCM, privately and for the Royal Air Force.
Juan OrtuńoYoung conductor Juan Ortuńo is a Masters graduate in conducting from the Royal Northern College of Music where he studied with Clark Rundell and Mark Shanahan. Recently he has been appointed as Musical Director of the City of Manchester Opera Society.
Juan is developing an exciting career as conductor in the UK where he has worked with orchestras such as the Manchester Camerata and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. He has also conducted numerous symphony orchestras across Spain and Austria.
Juan started music lessons in Madrid with his parents. Both were performers in the Spanish National Radio and Television Choir. His first ambition was Astrophysics in which he obtained a Bachelors Degree. At the same time, he was studying voice, piano, and violin. He then decided to focus on a career in music and earned degrees in Orchestral and Choral conducting at the Royal Conservatory of Madrid. During this time he has attended several conducting master classes with Benjamin Zander, George Hurst, Martyn Brabbins, and Antoni Ros-Marbŕ, and has received feedback from Sir Mark Elder.
In 2006, he was selected to take part in the young conductors' project of the Spanish Youth Orchestra (Joven Orquesta Nacional de Espańa) and since then has continued working with them as guest conductor in a concert tour. Juan also has been awarded a scholarship from the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs to continue further studies in the UK.
Future conducting engagements include his debut at the Buxton Opera Festival in July 2011.
Born in Leeds in 1986, Tom Newall studied piano from the age of four, and later, organ. His principal study however is singing and he gained the DipABRSM in December 2004.
Tom began conducting at 16. He gained experience while studying for his music degree at Durham University, where he conducted the University Chamber Orchestra and the Symphony Orchestra between 2007 and 2009. 2007 saw him conducting the Newbury Cecilia Consort in Mendelssohn's Elijah and in the same year a scratch performance of Beethoven Symphony no 9. He ended his time in Durham with a performance of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring.
Tom founded the Durham University Opera Ensemble as chorus master in Ravel's L'enfant et les Sortilčges, followed by conducting Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel and Bizet's Carmen. He has worked on a number of shows in the North West, most recently as music Director of Sweeney Todd.
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