Orchestra Conductor Richard Howarth

Richard Howarth brings a wealth of experience and energy to orchestra conducting, inspiring both musicians and audiences. He is able to draw on a distinguished career as a violinist, leading and directing orchestras for over twenty years.

Richard is as comfortable working with elite professionals as he is training and educating amateur and youth orchestras. He has maintained a love of classical music throughout his career as a player and leader, which he brings to the role of orchestra conductor.

Richard's passion for music is apparent in every performance. A great depth of musical knowledge gained from working at the highest level, directing and appearing with leading orchestras, and his love of the music of the great composers, results in assured and compelling performances.

Richard also conducts/directs Manchester Sinfonia, a new professional orchestra that performs concerts, accompanies choral groups and is available for recording sessions.

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Latest From Richard

18 April 2010

My Nottingham links are proving really exciting. Back in February I was asked by Music for Everyone (www.music-for-everyone.org) to coach/conduct a weekend of Tchaikovsky with a new group called East Midlands String Orchestra. This is a group of advanced amateur players in need of a bit of technical and musical 'stretching'. We had a great weekend playing Souvenir de Florence in its full string orchestra version. More projects are planned.

I have since been asked to be the conductor of the East Midlands Youth String Orchestra which I am thrilled about. I'm going over on Saturday 25th April to meet them and take a rehearsal.

26 March 2010

I'm extremely pleased to have been appointed conductor of the Westmorland Orchestra. My first concert with them, by way of a trial appearance, was a couple of weeks ago – Brahms 3rd Symphony and the Violin Concerto by Bruch. The players were very welcoming and receptive to all the suggestions I was making. At risk of information overload I was impressed with the progress and the concert was really thrilling. I start 'the job' with rehearsals in September and I'm looking forward to some great music making and fun times with them. The job description demands a new joke each week! I managed three, the last falling flat as I messed up the punch line (which turned out to be more amusing than the joke!). You can find details of their concerts by going to their website. See my links page.

Recent concerts with Wrexham Symphony Orchestra and Blackburn Symphony Orchestra have resulted in invitations to do more, so next season I have two concerts with Blackburn and one with Wrexham. Details on their websites, see my links page.

During next season, my two young friends, Jiafeng Chen (violin) and Misha Nemtzov (cello), will perform the Double Concerto by Brahms with four different amateur orchestras, all suggested by and conducted by me. I'm really looking forward to seeing how this piece develops in the hands of these two outstanding young players. Perhaps I should be their agent?

8 November 2009

Looking forward to the first rehearsal of Britten's Les Illuminations with soprano Abigail Sudbury who will perform it with Sale Chamber Orchestra on 5th December at St Paul's Church in Sale. What an amaziing piece this is and so full of invention. Who would have thought that violins and violas could sound like trumpets and horns at the beginning?

Rehearsals for the Elgar Violin Concerto with Wrexham Symphony Orchestra are well advanced. My goodness, but they follow well! My good friend Jiafeng Chen will be playing it on 28th November in William Aston Hall in Wrexham.

Blackburn Symphony Orchestra is playing extremely well in a taxing programme. Britten's Young Person's Guide is taking shape. The percussion had a good session last week. Niklas Duckworth also joined us to rehearse the Schumann Piano Concerto. Very useful for the players to hear what they have to accompany.

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