Sir Stephen's conducting engagements beyond King's take 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 works with visiting groups in Cambridge as well as on his travels. This season he will appear in Madrid, Stockholm, Paris, Berlin, Rome, as well as in the US and the UK.
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 is 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 is 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.
