Simon Halsey (born 1958) is an English choral conductor.
Born in London, Halsey sang in the choirs of both New College, Oxford and King's College, Cambridge. He studied conducting at the Royal College of Music in London.
Since 1983, Halsey has been the Chorus Director of the City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus.[1] He founded the City of Birmingham Youth Chorus in 1995. His position with the CBSC brings him into regular contact with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, including as conductor of the annual Christmas Concerts. In 1987, he founded the City of Birmingham Touring Opera (since 2001 the Birmingham Opera Company) with leading international opera director Graham Vick. In addition, he is Artistic Director and founder of the professional choir European Voices, and Principal Conductor, Choral Programme for the Northern Sinfonia.
Halsey served as Chief Conductor of the Netherlands Radio Choir (Groot Omroepkoor) since 1997, and relinquished this position in 2008.[1] Since 2001, he has also served as Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Berlin Radio Choir (Rundfunkchor Berlin).
Halsey has worked with orchestras and choirs all over the world. He has also conducted projects as diverse as Handel's Messiah with the Minnesota Orchestra and Fauré's Requiem with the CBSC and the Hong Kong Philharmonic. Halsey has also been involved with numerous recordings, including a live recording of Beethoven's 9th Symphony with the CBSC and the Vienna Philharmonic, under Simon Rattle. In 2006 he conducted the CBSC in their first completely choral recording, an album of English Choral Favourites. In addition, Halsey is consultant editor on Faber Music's Choral Programme Series of sheet music.
Halsey and his wife Lucy live outside Birmingham. They have two children.[1]