Simon Halsey

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Simon Halsey (born 8 March 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, Artistic Director of the Berlin Radio Choir (Rundfunkchor Berlin)and Chorus Director of the Northern Sinfonia Chorus, a position he held until 2012. Since August 2012 he has been Chorus Director of the London Symphony Chorus.[2][3]

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.

On 31 August 2012, he stepped in as conductor for Andris Nelsons in Eberbach Abbey at the Rheingau Musik Festival. Instead of Mahler's Resurrection Symphony, he conducted Glinka's ouverture to Ruslan and Ludmilla, Nänie by Brahms, and from the symphony movement 4 "Urlicht" and the finale of movement 5.[4][5]

Halsey lives in Henley in Arden and is married to BBC Radio 4 Producer, Lucy Lunt. They have two children.[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Christopher Morley (2008-06-19). "The joys of having a 'dream job' for 25 years". Birmingham Post. Retrieved 2008-09-05. 
  2. ↑ "London Symphony Chorus". London Symphony Orchestra. Retrieved 15 May 2012. 
  3. ↑ "New Chorus Director". LSC News. 15 May 2012. Retrieved 26 May 2012. 
  4. ↑ "London Symphony Chorus". klassik.com. 31 August 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2012. 
  5. ↑ "Just in: top young conductor rushed to hospital". LSC News. 1 September 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2012. 

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