Sir Stephen's conducting engagements beyond King's took him well beyond Cambridge and the UK. He has conducted many orchestras throughout the world, as well as many choirs. As a sought-after guest conductor, masterclass leader and lecturer, he frequently worked with visiting groups in Cambridge as well as on his travels. In his final season he appeared in Madrid, Stockholm, Paris, Berlin, Rome, as well as in the US and the UK.
Sir Stephen conducted many large-scale works at the Easter at King's festival and in the course of successive years of the Concerts at King's series, most frequently with the BBC concert Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus, Britten Sinfonia and the Academy of Ancient Music; these have included well-known works such as Beethoven Triple Concerto, Violin Concerto (with Jennifer Pike) and Mass in C, Boccherini Cello concerto (with Joseph Crouch), Brahms Piano Concerto no.2 (with Tom Poster) and Deutsches Requiem, Britten Sinfonia da Requiem, Saint Nicolas and Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings, Bruckner Mass in e, Duruflé Requiem, Elgar Cello Concerto (with Guy Johnston), Serenade for Strings, Dream of Gerontius, The Apostles, The Kingdom, The Music Makers, The Light of Life, Enigma Variations and Sursum Corda, Fauré Requiem (with Bryn Terfel), Handel Messiah, Dixit Dominus, Brockes Passion and Israel in Egypt, Haydn Trumpet Concerto (both with Alison Balsom and John Wallace), Te Deum, Schöpfungsmesse and Seven Last Words, Howells Stabat Mater, Hummel Te Deum, Mahler Resurrection Symphony, Mendelssohn Elijah (with Bryn Terfel), Violin Concerto (with Magnus Johnston) and Lobgesang, Monteverdi Vespers of 1610, Mozart Mass in c, Symphony no.29, Piano Concerto K414 (with Tom Poster), Davide Penitente, Grabmusik, Coronation Mass and Requiem, Parry Blest Pair of Sirens and Songs of Farewell, Pärt St John Passion, Puccini Messa di gloria, Rossini Stabat Mater, Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony (with Thomas Trotter), Schubert Mass in G and Tragic Symphony, Schumann Piano Concerto (with Francis Grier) and Scenes from Goethe's Faust, Schütz Seven Last Words, Strauss Oboe Concerto (with Nicholas Daniel), Vaughan Williams Dona nobis pacem, Verdi Quattro Pezzi Sacri and Requiem and Wagner Prelude to Die Meistersinger (not to mention annual Bach St Matthew/St John Passions).
Sir Stephen conducted many large-scale works at the Easter at King's festival and in the course of successive years of the Concerts at King's series, most frequently with the BBC concert Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus, Britten Sinfonia and the Academy of Ancient Music; these have included well-known works such as Beethoven Triple Concerto, Violin Concerto (with Jennifer Pike) and Mass in C, Boccherini Cello concerto (with Joseph Crouch), Brahms Piano Concerto no.2 (with Tom Poster) and Deutsches Requiem, Britten Sinfonia da Requiem, Saint Nicolas and Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings, Bruckner Mass in e, Duruflé Requiem, Elgar Cello Concerto (with Guy Johnston), Serenade for Strings, Dream of Gerontius, The Apostles, The Kingdom, The Music Makers, The Light of Life, Enigma Variations and Sursum Corda, Fauré Requiem (with Bryn Terfel), Handel Messiah, Dixit Dominus, Brockes Passion and Israel in Egypt, Haydn Trumpet Concerto (both with Alison Balsom and John Wallace), Te Deum, Schöpfungsmesse and Seven Last Words, Howells Stabat Mater, Hummel Te Deum, Mahler Resurrection Symphony, Mendelssohn Elijah (with Bryn Terfel), Violin Concerto (with Magnus Johnston) and Lobgesang, Monteverdi Vespers of 1610, Mozart Mass in c, Symphony no.29, Piano Concerto K414 (with Tom Poster), Davide Penitente, Grabmusik, Coronation Mass and Requiem, Parry Blest Pair of Sirens and Songs of Farewell, Pärt St John Passion, Puccini Messa di gloria, Rossini Stabat Mater, Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony (with Thomas Trotter), Schubert Mass in G and Tragic Symphony, Schumann Piano Concerto (with Francis Grier) and Scenes from Goethe's Faust, Schütz Seven Last Words, Strauss Oboe Concerto (with Nicholas Daniel), Vaughan Williams Dona nobis pacem, Verdi Quattro Pezzi Sacri and Requiem and Wagner Prelude to Die Meistersinger (not to mention annual Bach St Matthew/St John Passions).
He also grasped every opportunity to showcase/premiere new works such as Andrew Downes' New Dawn, Francis Grier's Passion and Lit By Holy Fire, James Macmillan's St John Passion, St Luke Passion and Seven Last Words from the Cross, Thomas Simaku's The Scream and Michael Zev Gordon's This Night, or rarely performed twentieth century works, such as Lennox Berkeley's Four Poems of St Teresa of Avila and Frank Martin's Golgotha.
Between 1995 and 2007 he was Chief Conductor of the BBC Singers, where he was much praised for creating an integrated choral sound from this group of first-class professional singers. From 2007 he has been the group's Conductor Laureate. With the Singers he relished the opportunity to showcase challenging contemporary music and gave a number of notable premieres, including Giles Swayne Havoc, Ed Cowie Gaia, and Francis Grier Passion, all these with the distinguished ensemble, Endymion. His many recordings with the BBC Singers include albums of Tippett, Richard Strauss and Bach.
From 1983-2016 he was Conductor of the Cambridge University Musical Society, one of the UK’s oldest music societies, a role in which he has not only conducted many orchestral works, but all of the major large-scale works for chorus and orchestra. Highlights have included Mahler Symphony No. 8 in the Royal Albert Hall and Britten War Requiem in Coventry Cathedral on the 60th anniversary of its bombing. His recordings with CUMS include Verdi Quattro Pezzi Sacri and Goehr The Death of Moses. As part of the 800th anniversary celebrations of Cambridge University he gave the première of The Sorcerer’s Mirror by Peter Maxwell Davies. In June 2016 he was appointed the first ever Conductor Emeritus of CUMS.
Sir Stephen was Honorary President and a regular conductor of the East Anglia Chamber Orchestra (EAChO), which was founded in 2010. This is a group put together by some long standing musical friends. Many of the players earn their living through music in various ways. It has quickly gained an excellent reputation with players and visiting professional conductors & soloists.
Between 1995 and 2007 he was Chief Conductor of the BBC Singers, where he was much praised for creating an integrated choral sound from this group of first-class professional singers. From 2007 he has been the group's Conductor Laureate. With the Singers he relished the opportunity to showcase challenging contemporary music and gave a number of notable premieres, including Giles Swayne Havoc, Ed Cowie Gaia, and Francis Grier Passion, all these with the distinguished ensemble, Endymion. His many recordings with the BBC Singers include albums of Tippett, Richard Strauss and Bach.
From 1983-2016 he was Conductor of the Cambridge University Musical Society, one of the UK’s oldest music societies, a role in which he has not only conducted many orchestral works, but all of the major large-scale works for chorus and orchestra. Highlights have included Mahler Symphony No. 8 in the Royal Albert Hall and Britten War Requiem in Coventry Cathedral on the 60th anniversary of its bombing. His recordings with CUMS include Verdi Quattro Pezzi Sacri and Goehr The Death of Moses. As part of the 800th anniversary celebrations of Cambridge University he gave the première of The Sorcerer’s Mirror by Peter Maxwell Davies. In June 2016 he was appointed the first ever Conductor Emeritus of CUMS.
Sir Stephen was Honorary President and a regular conductor of the East Anglia Chamber Orchestra (EAChO), which was founded in 2010. This is a group put together by some long standing musical friends. Many of the players earn their living through music in various ways. It has quickly gained an excellent reputation with players and visiting professional conductors & soloists.
Sir Stephen rehearsing at LSO St Luke's with the Britten Sinfonia in June 2019 prior
to a broadcast performance from King's of Britten St Nicolas.
to a broadcast performance from King's of Britten St Nicolas.
