Conductor

I am currently the conductor of Durham University Orchestral Society's Symphony Orchestra for the 2026-27 season. Previously I conducted Kohncertino, DUPO Chamber, the Palatinate Ensemble and was musical director for Durham Opera Ensemble's award-winning production of Iolanthe. I learn with Alice Farnham, Karen Ní Bhroin and John Longstaff.

Biography

Michael started conducting as a member of the London Schools' Symphony Orchestra. In 2019, he set up Kohncertino, a chamber orchestra for London conservatoire and university students, with whom he conducted four concerts. A participant on the upcoming 2026 St Andrews Conducting Course, he was recently a participant on the 2025 Girton Conducting Course, and in November of 2025 received masterclasses with Tess Jackson and Peter Stark. He previously went on courses of Peter Stark, and took advice from Tim Redmond,Pablo Urbina, and Dinis Sousa.

During his time in Durham he has conducted DUOS Symphony, and DUPO chamber, which he then reformed into the Palatinate Ensemble. He also the musical director for Durham Opera Ensemble's production of Iolanthe in Durham and at the UNIFEST section of the International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival, where he won the Best Musical Director award, and the show won the prize for best show. He also won the half-Palatinate award for best Musical Director in Theatre at Durham for the same production.

His other experience includes over ten years as a horn player, holding an Ash Scholarship at Imperial where he learnt with Simon Rayner at the Royal College of Music.

Videos available on request: drop me an email for YouTube links to our concert, or for requesting audition footage.

Next concert- 29th November 2026

Repertoire to be announced at the end of August

Repertoire List

Orchestral

Andrée- Symphony no.2

Barber- Knoxville, Summer of 1915

Beach- Bal Masque

Beethoven- Symphony no.7, Symphony no.8, Violin Concerto, Coriolan Overture

Borodin- Polovtsian Dances

L. Boulanger- D'un Matin de Printemps

Brahms- Serenade no.1 (arr. Nex)

Carwithen- Suffolk Suite

Coleridge-Taylor- Nonet

Copland- Appalachian Spring (both 13 instrument and chamber orchestra versions)

De Falla- Ritual Fire Dance

Dvorak- The Water Goblin, Serenade for Wind Instruments

Elgar- Enigma Variations

Gershwin- Cuban Overture

Gipps- Knight in Armour

Glazunov- Saxophone Concerto

Gounod- Petite Symphonie

McDowell- Rain, Steam and Speed

Mendelssohn- Symphony no.4, Hebrides overture

Mozart- Overture to Cosi fan Tutte, Violin Concerto no.5

Mussorgsky/ Rimsky-Korsakov- Night on Bald Mountain

Ravel- Pavane for a Dead Princess

Respighi- Pines of Rome

Saint-Saëns- Cello Concerto no.1, Symphony no.3 "Organ"

R. Schumann- Symphony no.3 "Rhenish"

Shostakovich- String Quartet no.3 (arr. Walter)

Smyth- Serenade

J. Strauss II- Die Fledermaus overture

R. Strauss- Serenade for 13 wind instruments

Stravinsky- Firebird Suite (1919), Pulcinella Suite

Vaughan Williams- Symphony no.5, Fantasia on Greensleeves

Weber- Clarinet Concerto no.1

Operatic/Vocal

Dvorak- Song to the Moon from Rusalka

Gilbert & Sullivan- Iolanthe

Humperdinck- Evening Prayer from Hansel and Gretel

Schubert (arr. Berlioz) -Erlkonig

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