Since 1996 there have been many conductors who have worked with the Orchestra. Here are the biographies of some of them.
Mark Lansom - Musical Director
Mark joined the Wrexham Orchestra in 1981 at the age of twelve, playing violin under his father's baton. He subsequently joined the Clwyd Youth Orchestra, graduating to the North Wales Youth Orchestra and the National Youth Orchestra of Wales.
In 1987 he moved to London to study Music at The City University where he gained a BSc Hons degree. Whilst there, he chose to major in composition rather than violin or conducting. Studying with Simon Holt, his "String Quartet No. l" brought him favourable reviews from the Society for the Promotion of New Music. It was at City University that he was given his first conducting opportunity, conducting the University Chamber Choir in a programme of Tippett and Bach.
In 1994, after receiving his teaching qualifications from London's Institute of Education, he returned to his native North Wales to take up a violin teaching post with the Clwyd Peripatetic Music Service - the very organisation which taught him - and to playing with the Wrexham Symphony Orchestra. In 1999 he conducted the orchestra for the first time, in a programme of Herold, Khachaturian and Nielsen, and has since become the orchestra’s most regular conductor.
Mark also conducts the Cambrian Orchestra, Wrexham Youth Orchestra, Wrexham Schools String Ensemble, the Maelor School String Orchestra, and Rhosnesni High School Orchestra. The latter three have all reached the National Finals of the Music for Youth festival, and have performed on numerous occasions at Symphony Hall, Birmingham, and the Royal Festival Hall, London. He is also leader of the Cambrian Orchestra, Opus One Chamber Orchestra and Cerdd Teg String Quartet, and second violin leader of the St John's Festival Orchestra and Canford Summer School of Music Symphony Orchestra.
Away from music Mark is an avid follower of Belle Vue Speedway club, and enjoys computers, co-running the web site of Wrexham Symphony Orchestra
He lives in Llay with his wife Annabel and their children, Zoë and Henry.
In 1987 he moved to London to study Music at The City University where he gained a BSc Hons degree. Whilst there, he chose to major in composition rather than violin or conducting. Studying with Simon Holt, his "String Quartet No. l" brought him favourable reviews from the Society for the Promotion of New Music. It was at City University that he was given his first conducting opportunity, conducting the University Chamber Choir in a programme of Tippett and Bach.
In 1994, after receiving his teaching qualifications from London's Institute of Education, he returned to his native North Wales to take up a violin teaching post with the Clwyd Peripatetic Music Service - the very organisation which taught him - and to playing with the Wrexham Symphony Orchestra. In 1999 he conducted the orchestra for the first time, in a programme of Herold, Khachaturian and Nielsen, and has since become the orchestra’s most regular conductor.
Mark also conducts the Cambrian Orchestra, Wrexham Youth Orchestra, Wrexham Schools String Ensemble, the Maelor School String Orchestra, and Rhosnesni High School Orchestra. The latter three have all reached the National Finals of the Music for Youth festival, and have performed on numerous occasions at Symphony Hall, Birmingham, and the Royal Festival Hall, London. He is also leader of the Cambrian Orchestra, Opus One Chamber Orchestra and Cerdd Teg String Quartet, and second violin leader of the St John's Festival Orchestra and Canford Summer School of Music Symphony Orchestra.
Away from music Mark is an avid follower of Belle Vue Speedway club, and enjoys computers, co-running the web site of Wrexham Symphony Orchestra
He lives in Llay with his wife Annabel and their children, Zoë and Henry.
Russell Gray
Russell Gray has been working as a freelance conductor since 1998. His career regularly takes him to most European countries, Japan, and Australia. In 2007 Russell was appointed Adjunct Professor at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music in Australia. This appointment adds to his position of Brass tutor at the University of Salford in Manchester.
Russell was born in Scotland in 1968, and in his early years learned to play the cornet. By the time he was twelve years old he had already won the junior solo Championships of both Scotland and Great Britain. At University Russell was a member of the Black Dyke Mills Brass Band.
Yamaha became aware of Russell’s talents and soon a relationship was established with him as an internationally endorsed soloist. This appointment has helped Russell become one of the most sought after Brass soloists and clinicians in the world today.
In 1998 Russell started his conducting career by moving to Norway and accepting the position of resident conductor with the Stavanger Brass Band. During this time Russell helped them further their reputation as one of the finest brass ensembles in the world by recording several CDs, and fusing links with other musical groups and composers, including the popular Scandinavian folk group Vamp, Stig Roar Wigestrand (Jazz Violin), and Torstein Aagaard Nilsen. He also enhanced their name internationally by touring Scotland, England, and Latvia. Since moving back to England in 2001, Russell has won many competitions, including the Norwegian, Danish, Japanese, Scottish, and British National Brass Band Championships. The most recent was winning the English National Championships with The Fairey Band and qualifying them for the European championships in 2011.
Russell also enjoys working with many varied ensembles. These include the National Youth Band of Switzerland, the Queensland Youth Band, the Australian Army Band, Brisbane, Her Majesty’s Band of the Coldstream Guards, Wrexham Symphony Orchestra, the Queensland Pops Orchestra, and the Mueller International Chamber Orchestra. In 2010, he was appointed Principal Conductor of the Cambrian Orchestra.
In 2007 Russell attended the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, to study for his Masters Degree in Orchestral Conducting. During this time he worked with the Royal Scottish Academy Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, graduating with Distinction in 2008.
Russell has studied conducting with Bramwell Tovey, Stephane Deneve, David Danzmayr, Martyn Brabbins, and Alasdair Mitchell.
Russell was born in Scotland in 1968, and in his early years learned to play the cornet. By the time he was twelve years old he had already won the junior solo Championships of both Scotland and Great Britain. At University Russell was a member of the Black Dyke Mills Brass Band.
Yamaha became aware of Russell’s talents and soon a relationship was established with him as an internationally endorsed soloist. This appointment has helped Russell become one of the most sought after Brass soloists and clinicians in the world today.
In 1998 Russell started his conducting career by moving to Norway and accepting the position of resident conductor with the Stavanger Brass Band. During this time Russell helped them further their reputation as one of the finest brass ensembles in the world by recording several CDs, and fusing links with other musical groups and composers, including the popular Scandinavian folk group Vamp, Stig Roar Wigestrand (Jazz Violin), and Torstein Aagaard Nilsen. He also enhanced their name internationally by touring Scotland, England, and Latvia. Since moving back to England in 2001, Russell has won many competitions, including the Norwegian, Danish, Japanese, Scottish, and British National Brass Band Championships. The most recent was winning the English National Championships with The Fairey Band and qualifying them for the European championships in 2011.
Russell also enjoys working with many varied ensembles. These include the National Youth Band of Switzerland, the Queensland Youth Band, the Australian Army Band, Brisbane, Her Majesty’s Band of the Coldstream Guards, Wrexham Symphony Orchestra, the Queensland Pops Orchestra, and the Mueller International Chamber Orchestra. In 2010, he was appointed Principal Conductor of the Cambrian Orchestra.
In 2007 Russell attended the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, to study for his Masters Degree in Orchestral Conducting. During this time he worked with the Royal Scottish Academy Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, graduating with Distinction in 2008.
Russell has studied conducting with Bramwell Tovey, Stephane Deneve, David Danzmayr, Martyn Brabbins, and Alasdair Mitchell.
Nic Fallowfield
Nic Fallowfield leads a varied life as conductor, violinist and teacher. As a player, he has toured throughout Europe, North and South America and Japan, and has recorded extensively for radio and television.
He has been co-principal 1st violin in the Northern Sinfonia, co-leader of The English String Orchestra (with whom he was a frequent soloist) and is currently leader of Sinfonia Viva (formerly the East of England Orchestra), with whom he was the recent soloist in Schnittke’s Concerto Grosso. Nic has been guest leader of the Scottish Chamber and Ulster Orchestras as well as the Manchester Camerata among many others.
Nic was invited to make his professional conducting debut in 1991 with a series of concerts involving the Jyvaskyla Sinfoniaorkesteri in Finland. A year later he conducted the Sinfonia Viva on the first of many occasions, a concert greeted with acclamation by audience and players alike. He has since conducted orchestras in France, Romania, Greece and Belgium as well as regular work with many youth and amateur orchestras in Britain.
Nic has been the conductor of the Four Counties Youth Orchestra (formerly the Clwyd Youth Orchestra) since 1991 including hugely successful performances of Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique on the Austrian Tour in 1994.
Nic has been working recently with youth orchestras in Herefordshire and Warwickshire and is Musical Director of the Beauchamp Sinfonietta, a semi-professional orchestra based in Warwick. He is also in great demand both as a private teacher and at the Birmingham Conservatoire.
He has been co-principal 1st violin in the Northern Sinfonia, co-leader of The English String Orchestra (with whom he was a frequent soloist) and is currently leader of Sinfonia Viva (formerly the East of England Orchestra), with whom he was the recent soloist in Schnittke’s Concerto Grosso. Nic has been guest leader of the Scottish Chamber and Ulster Orchestras as well as the Manchester Camerata among many others.
Nic was invited to make his professional conducting debut in 1991 with a series of concerts involving the Jyvaskyla Sinfoniaorkesteri in Finland. A year later he conducted the Sinfonia Viva on the first of many occasions, a concert greeted with acclamation by audience and players alike. He has since conducted orchestras in France, Romania, Greece and Belgium as well as regular work with many youth and amateur orchestras in Britain.
Nic has been the conductor of the Four Counties Youth Orchestra (formerly the Clwyd Youth Orchestra) since 1991 including hugely successful performances of Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique on the Austrian Tour in 1994.
Nic has been working recently with youth orchestras in Herefordshire and Warwickshire and is Musical Director of the Beauchamp Sinfonietta, a semi-professional orchestra based in Warwick. He is also in great demand both as a private teacher and at the Birmingham Conservatoire.
Garry Walker
Garry Walker was born and educated in Edinburgh. On applying to Music College, he received numerous entrance scholarships to various establishments, but settled on the prestigious joint course between the Royal Northern College of Music and Manchester University. He graduated with 1st class honours in 1995, and holds undergraduate and postgraduate diplomas from the RNCM. It was whilst at University that he first got the oppertunity to conduct. He became Junior Fellow Conducting at the RNCM in 1997, and graduated 2 years later with the first ever distinction. The following month the won the 6th Leeds Conducting competition, which has led to invitations to conduct many of Britain's finest orchestras.
Garry is currently Principal Guest Conductor with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra; Principle Conductor of the Paragon Ensemble (who recently made a notably successful Edinburgh Festival debut); and works regularly with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (with whom he has recently been appointed Permanent Guest Conductor), Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and the London Sinfonietta. Last year, Garry made debuts in the Philharmonie Hall in Berlin with the Deutsches Symphonie, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, and conducted three concerts at the 2003 Edinburgh Festival. He has also recently conducted a series of concerts with the Philharmonia in London.
Garry is currently Principal Guest Conductor with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra; Principle Conductor of the Paragon Ensemble (who recently made a notably successful Edinburgh Festival debut); and works regularly with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (with whom he has recently been appointed Permanent Guest Conductor), Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and the London Sinfonietta. Last year, Garry made debuts in the Philharmonie Hall in Berlin with the Deutsches Symphonie, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, and conducted three concerts at the 2003 Edinburgh Festival. He has also recently conducted a series of concerts with the Philharmonia in London.
