News
Two Oxford Conductors in BBC Top Ten
The September 2009 issue of the BBC Music Magazine focused on conducting and conductors. It noted that only two of the current principal conductors of the top ten British orchestras are British (Sir Mark Elder at the Hallé and Donald Runnicles at the BBC Scottish Orchestra, in case you were wondering). So, where are the Brits, the Magazine asks? 'Does the Russian invasion point to a lack of British talent?' No, is the unequivocal answer.
The BBC Music Magazine goes on to list its top ten younger British conducting talent, which includes Sir Simon Rattle at the Berlin Phil (aged 54, Sir Simon still counts as young in conducting terms, it would seem). Among these musicians are to be found two Oxford graduates, Ryan Wigglesworth (former organ scholar at New College) and Scott Ellaway (former organ scholar at Keble, pictured left, photo (c) Clive Barda). Ryan (30) is linked with Thomas Adès by making his name as a composer while being equally at home on the rostrum. He was most recently to be seen at the Proms alongside Martyn Brabbins (also in the top ten) conducting the BBC Symphony Orchestra in Act 2 of Birtwistle's The Mask of Orpheus. Scott (26) is described by the Magazine as 'entreprenurial'. He is the founder director of Orchestra Europa and has recently worked with the Philharmonia.
So, as the BBC Music Magazine invites us to do, watch out for these Brits.