Conductors
Bampton Classical Opera has worked with a number of conductors, some of whom are described below. We do not have a permanent music director.
2012 season
Christopher Bucknall was brought-up in Somerset and studied at Oxford University and the Royal Academy of Music, studying harpsichord and fortepiano with Carole Cerasi and conducting with Paul Brough. Opera credits include conducting Pergolesi, La serva padrona (Vestfolds International Festival, Norway) and Purcell, Dido and Aeneas (Coming Up Festival for The Old Vic), assisting on Handel, Alessandro and Il pastor fido (London Handel Festival), Cavalli, Eliogabalo (Grange Park Opera), Britten The Turn of the Screw (Aldeburgh Music) and coaching on L’incoronazione di Poppea (Glyndebourne on Tour). In 2011 he will be assistant conductor on Handel, Rinaldo (Glyndebourne Festival Opera), music staff on Rameau, Castor et Pollux (English National Opera). Further conducting credits include Handel, Messiah, Apollo e Dafne and Acis and Galatea, Bach Johannes-Passion, Alessandro Scarlatti’s opera, Marco Attelio Regolo and concert performances with the International Baroque Players. Christopher works extensively as a keyboard continuo player. In 2010, he recorded the Bach Violin Concertos with Rachel Podger and made his concerto debut at the Wigmore Hall. In 2011 he will tour with Brecon Baroque, London Baroque and The Kings Concert.
Andrew Griffiths studied under Martyn Brabbins in Glasgow before training at Scottish Opera, the National Opera Studio, and as a Jette Parker Young Artist at The Royal Opera. In the theatre he has conducted Rita and La serva padrona (ROH), Hansel and Gretel (Opera North) La cenerentola, Il barbiere di Siviglia and Le nozze di Figaro (Iford Festival Opera), Amadigi and Flavio (Early Opera Company) and 1000 Airplanes on the Roof (Paragon Ensemble Scotland). As assistant conductor and coach, his many ROH productions include the Ring and the world premiere of Birtwistle’s Minotaur, under Pappano, Elder, Mackerras, Gardiner and others. He has worked at ENO, Glyndebourne, Chicago Opera Theater, Opera Theatre Company, Batignano, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and BBC Singers, and has gained extensive experience in Baroque repertoire as assistant to Christian Curnyn. Concert engagements include the Orchestra of ROH (broadcast on Radio 3), the Orchestra of Opera North, Southbank Sinfonia and Orpheus Sinfonia. In 2012 Andrew makes his debut at Bampton, conducts Die Entführung at Iford and leads major choral programmes at Cadogan Hall and Dartington Summer School, as well as returning for projects at The Royal Opera, BBC Symphony Orchestra and BBC Singers.
Robin Newton is rapidly establishing an reputation as an imaginative, dramatic conductor of a wide repertoire. Highlights of his current season include appearances with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Chelsea Opera Group, Garsington Opera, the Oxford Sinfonia, Opera Rara and the Haydn Chamber Orchestra. He has worked with internationally renowned orchestras and opera houses including the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Philharmonia, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the London Mozart Players, the Bergen Philharmonic, Deutsche Oper, Opera North, English National Opera and Den Nye Oper. As a symphony conductor, he regularly performs a wide repertoire. He has worked closely with Andrew Litton and Jiří Bělohlávek. Robin studied at Cambridge University then the Royal Northern College of Music. As an assistant he developed a deep understanding of opera through work with Sir Mark Elder and David Parry. He has a particularly strong knowledge of the bel canto repertoire from his long association with Opera Rara, where he has worked on over 20 recordings of rare operas by Donizetti, Bellini, Rossini, Mercadante and others. He is also closely associated with new music having given a number of world premieres with his new music group, e2K. He recently gave the world première performances of Stephen McNeff’s Daughters of the Elements for Tête-á-Tête and this season will conduct Turnage’s Twice through the heart.
Past seasons
Benjamin Bayl Handel by Candlelight (concert), The Judgment of Paris, Il Parnaso confuso
Thomas Blunt The Italian Girl in London
Alexander Briger The Philosopher's Stone;
A Comedy of Errors
Christopher Bucknall The Choice of Hercules
Matthew Coorey The
Jewel Box
Christian Curnyn Le cinesi; Apollo and Hyacinth; La danza
Richard Dickins Acis
and Galatea (Mozart orchestration)
Tecwyn Evans Music for
voices and harp (concert)
Alice Farnham Le pescatrici
Gilly French Apollo and Hyacinth; The Conspirators; several
concerts
Edward Gardner Waiting
for Figaro
Matthew Halls Romeo and Juliet
Murray Hipkin Falstaff;
La vera costanza; Apollo and Hyacinth; Le cinesi
Guy Hopkins Orpheus
and Euridice; Don Giovanni; Alfred; Nina
Paul
Hoskins The Barber of Seville ;
La capricciosa corretta
Jason Lai L'infedeltà delusa; Don
Giovanni
Robin Newton Leonora, The Marriage of Figaro
David Owen Norris The Two
Barons of Rocca Azzurra
Simon Over A
Comedy of Errors
Gregory Rose A European
Christmas (concert)
Alexander Walker A Comedy
of Errors
