Ian Smith - Guest conductor, Bedford Sinfonia
Ian is one of the leading conductors in the Bedford and Milton Keynes area.
Educated at York University and Queens’ College Cambridge, he moved to Milton Keynes in 1975 and to Bedford in 1981. Ian is musical director and principal conductor of Bedford Choral Society and the Danesborough Chorus.
Read full bioJohn Beswick - Guest conductor, Bedfordshire Symphony Orchestra
John was music scholar at Bristol Cathedral School and Organ Scholar of Hertford College, Oxford, where he read music. Postgraduate studies followed, firstly as a repetiteur (Guildhall School of Music and Drama) and then as Conducting Scholar at the Royal College of Music, where he studied with Neil Thomson, George Hurst and Odaline de la Martinez. John made his opera conducting debut with Rigoletto whilst studying with Diego Masson at the 1996 Dartington International Summer School.
Read full bioCathal Garvey - Guest conductor, Bedfordshire Symphony Orchestra
Cathal Garvey began violin and piano studies at an early age at the Cork School of Music, and later read music at University College Cork. Following a master’s degree in Conducting, he studied violin for two years at the prestigious College of Moscow Conservatory.
He began his career as chorus master for most of Ireland’s major opera companies, including Opera Ireland, Opera Theatre Company, Anna Livia Opera Festival, Lyric Opera and Opera South, working with them on over fifty productions. In Dublin, he regularly conducted the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Orchestra of St Cecilia, Dublin Symphony Orchestra and the Dublin Baroque Players. Between 2001 and 2009 he was principal conductor of the Dublin Orchestral Players and Dun Laoghaire Choral Society
Bjorn Bantock - guest conductor, Bedfordshire Symphony Orchestra
Bjorn Bantock has over 30 years professional conducting experience and has enjoyed an extensive performance schedule conducting numerous ensembles and orchestras internationally. He has performed in Chile, Argentina, Brazil, China, South Africa, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Russia, Malta, Ireland, Norway, and the United Kingdom. Bjorn is currently the principal conductor of the Irish Memory Orchestra which has toured throughout Europe, Ireland, and South Korea. He has made numerous television and Festival appearances to great critical acclaim and is the principal conductor for the Peterborough Philharmonic Orchestra.
View full bio
