Music Director
James Morgan
James studied at Trinity College Cambridge, and then joined the staff of English National Opera, before conducting operas for Glyndebourne, ENO, ETO and Raymond Gubbay at the Royal Albert Hall.
He has worked with the LSO, Philharmonia, RLPO, LPO, CLS, the LCO at the Classic Brits and the RPO, which he conducts regularly both in the studio and in concert. He is also a regular guest conductor of the BBC Singers.
Abroad, he has worked with the City of Prague Philharmonic, Danish National Chamber Orchestra, Copenhagen Philharmonic, Odense Symphony Orchestra and Aalborg Symphony Orchestra.
His repertoire varies widely from Renaissance polyphony to arena pop concerts, with artists as varied as Alfie Boe, Jamie Cullum, Andrea Bocelli, and Nicola Benedetti.
James conducts the albums he produces, including albums for Classic FM, and for artists such as Cliff Richard, Dame Vera Lynn and Ella Fitzgerald. Film scores include First Night (Richard E Grant) and Dustin Hoffman’s film directing debut Quartet.
Passionate about music education, James has also conducted education projects for Glyndebourne, the Royal Albert Hall, and Channel 4.
James Morgan combines careers as conductor and as one half of the composing and producing partnership Morgan Pochin.
General Manager
Fergus Marr
Fergus joined Brighton Festival Chorus in the Spring of 2019, his role of General Manager complementing a freelance portfolio that includes Orchestra and Concert Management, music arranging and music performance.
Orchestras that he currently works for include the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Heritage Orchestra, the Little Orchestra and The London Concert Orchestra (Raymond Gubbay). He has managed events in all of the UK’s major concert halls and arenas and has toured internationally to the United States, Europe and South East Asia.
Notable recent projects include working a break-dancing concert at the BBC Proms 2019 and touring with the actor/singer Hugh Jackman around Western Europe.
Accompanist
Gavin Roberts
Gavin Roberts enjoys an extraordinarily varied career as a pianist, organist and conductor. He has appeared at venues and festivals in the UK and abroad. He is a professor and staff pianist at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and is the Artistic Director of Song in the City.
Gavin has collaborated with numerous singers, conductors, instrumentalists and ensembles including The BBC Singers, The Academy of Ancient Music, The National Youth Choir and Constanza Chorus, often appearing on radio broadcasts and recordings.
Gavin is an experienced and creative concert programmer, including five successful seasons as Artistic Director of The St Marylebone Festival. His work is often characterised by collaborations with other artistic disciplines. Recent work includes a choreographed performance of Schubert’s Wintereise at RAMBERT, and a London Fashion Week show for designer Patrick McDowell at Guildhall School.
He has been Artistic Director of Song in the City since 2011 for which he has devised more than 150 concerts, and has pioneered ‘Creative Minds in Song’ commissioning composers to create new songs on the poems of mental-health service users. Passionate about working with composers he has given numerous premieres of new works.
PRESIDENT
SIR MARK ELDER, CH, CBE
Sir Mark Elder has been Music Director of the Hallé since September 2000. He was previously Music Director of English National Opera (1979–1993) and Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra and City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
He is Principal Artist of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and has appeared at the Proms for many years, including, in 1987 and 2006, in the internationally televised Last Night.
He has enjoyed a long association with the Royal Opera House, Metropolitan Opera, Opéra de Paris and Glyndebourne Festival Opera. He was the first English conductor to conduct a new production at the Bayreuth Festival.
Sir Mark Elder was appointed a Companion of Honour in 2017, knighted in 2008 and awarded the CBE in 1989. In May 2006 he was named Conductor of the Year by the Royal Philharmonic Society and he was awarded Honorary Membership of the Royal Philharmonic Society in 2011.