The Edinburgh University Music Society, with its three hundred plus members and regular schedule of performances, is no small ensemble. Combining quality of music with a wide repertoire, EUMS requires commitment at all levels. The Society continues to grow in strength, and this is in no small part due to the dedication of our team of conductors.
NEIL METCALFE
Numbering around 200, the EUMS Chorus requires a conductor with a considerable amount of skill and dedication, not to mention a lot of patience. Thankfully, our conductor is more than capable of guiding the talents of the Chorus to bigger and better things year on year.
Neil Metcalfe read music at Edinburgh University before taking-up a scholarship in the opera school of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, where he trained as a répétiteur, vocal coach, pianist, continuo player and conductor. He worked for a number of years on the music staff of Scottish Opera, in opera houses in Australia (Sydney), Germany (Dortmund), the United States (Pittsburgh), Northern Ireland (Belfast), and also with many touring companies including Bolshoi Opera, Kirov Opera, Catalan National Theatre, and Deutsche Oper am Rhein.
As a performer he has recorded for the BBC (most recently with National Girls’ Choir of Scotland) and on the Linn Records label (most recently with Dunedin Consort in JS Bach’s Mass in B Minor) and enjoys a busy career as a solo artist, accompanist, MD and conductor. He has appeared in venues as far afield as Greenland and Australia in a wide number of genres from musical theatre to chamber music.
He is also a keen supporter of young people in music; he is Chairman of the Scottish Schools Orchestra, a Trustee of Edinburgh Young Musicians, and works as an examiner and adjudicator. Neil currently holds the posts of musical director of Edinburgh Grand Opera, Edinburgh Music Theatre Company, Balerno Theatre Company, our very own EUMS Chorus, Edinburgh Studio Opera, the Maltings Theatre and Opening Night Productions. He is also lecturer in Performance Studies at Stevenson College, Edinburgh.
MICHAEL GRAHAM
Sinfonia has a long history of being led by exciting, fresh faced new conductors with a knack for bringing out the best in the ensemble and a flask of coffee to get them through Saturday morning rehearsals. True to this legacy, young conductor Michael Graham shall be leading them next academic year as the new Sinfonia conductor.
Michael is a talented and enthusiastic musician currently studying at the University of Edinburgh. As well as conducting, Michael is a fantastic clarinetist, pianist and singer. Always keen to learn, Michael takes regular conducting lessons in Glasgow and has observed Colin Metters in a masterclass at the Royal Academy of Music. He has also participated in a young conductors course at the Association of British Choral Directions’ Convention. We are looking forward to having Michael’s passion and excitement for music in our society.
RUSSELL COWIESON
Each year our Symphony Orchestra performs three concerts, and each year the standard improves. Without Russell’s constant hard work and his passion for music this would certainly not be the case.
Russell Cowieson studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and the Guildhall School of Music. As a performer he has appeared with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, RSNO Wind Ensemble, Carol Kidd, Carla Bley and the Stan Tracey quartet.
He studied conducting with Timothy Reynish, Baldur Brönnimann and George Hurst. He is Musical Director of the Scottish National Wind Orchestra, and in 2006 he co-wrote and presented the RSAMD’s second Musicworks DVD; a brilliantly successful educational tool which has been issued to every secondary school in Scotland.
In 2007 Russell was appointed Artistic Director of the International Wind Festival and in 2008 served on the faculty of the RNCM Conducting Weekend. In 2009 he served on the faculty of the internationally renowned Canford Summer School of Music. Russell has worked with Young Sinfonia, the RNCM Junior School Orchestra, RSAMD Junior School, as a visiting specialist and adjudicator, John Currie Singers and Orchestra and Cambridgeshire Youth Wind Orchestra.
