photo:Mike Bowes
Nicholas Burns - Music Director
Nicholas Burns made his debut in 2000 as conductor of the Bristol University Chamber Orchestra (BUCO). In 2001 he conducted the orchestra on a tour of the Czech Republic and was awarded the Miles Napier Prize for outstanding work in conducting. In October 2001 he organised and conducted a concert in response to the 9/11 tragedy before taking on the post of Musical Director for a Bristol University Opera production of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro. October 2002 saw another charity concert (this time in aid of CLIC) which led to the creation of the New Orpheus Ensemble. The resulting orchestra was launched in February 2003 and moved its base to London over the summer of 2003. It has been steadily growing and presented two Symphonic series between 2003-2005. While working towards an undergraduate degree in Music at Bristol University, Nicholas also had the opportunity to work with the University Chamber Choir, Church Choir, Wind Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra. He was conductor of the University New Music Ensemble from 2002-2003 and performed a fully staged production of Stravinsky's A Soldier's Tale in the Victoria Rooms in Bristol in November 2002.
For 2003-2004, Nicholas studied for a Postgraduate Diploma in conducting at Trinity College of Music under Peter Stark. He has worked with Trinity College of Music Sinfonia, Chamber and Symphony Orchestras and has taken part in masterclasses with Greg Rose, Jaques Cohen and Bruno Cinquegrani. Following a masterclass with the latter he was offered the post of assistant conductor at New Sussex Opera for their autumn touring production of Verdi's Falstaff. He has recently been appointed Music Director of Thames Gateway Youth Orchestra. For 2005/6, he is working predominantly with a smaller incarnation of New Orpheus Ensemble in rural and suburban areas which do not usually have to opportunity to hear high quality live classical music. Concentrating on early Classical works as well as the 20th Century Chamber repertoire, he hopes to present an eclectic range of repertoire to a new audience.
Nicholas is also a pianist and is very active as an accompanist and chamber musician. As a member of the Bella Court Piano Trio (which won the audience prize in the Cavatina Chamber Music Competition in 2004), he has performed around England, Italy and Holland. The Trio has appeared at the Chipping Camden and Young Musicians Festivals and has a tour to Florence and Siena planned for later in 2006. He passed his LRSM with distinction in December 2002 and studied with Vanessa Latarche and Simon Young.