The Edinburgh University Music Society has had the pleasure of being conducted by a great many well known and talented conductors, alongside supporting many fresh young conductors as they make their way towards greatness.

Here you will be able to find just a few of them.

NICK FLETCHER

Every Saturday morning the players of Sinfonia haul themselves into rehearsal, and leading them from 2009 to 2011 was our ever diligent conductor Nick Fletcher. The hard work that he put in with Sinfonia always culminated in fantastic performances and a very pleased orchestra. His involvement with the society goes further back than guiding Sinfonia, and though he conducted for the last time with EUMS in summer 2011, that concert marked his 25th performing with the society.

Nick is a conductor, répétiteur and pianist who started his musical career singing with the choir of Southwell Minster. He has been conductor of Sinfonia for two years, continuing a long association with EUMS, and has conducted for many other Edinburgh orchestras and choirs.

He made his opera conducting debut with Edinburgh Studio Opera in Janáček’s Cunning Little Vixen in February 2009. Nick was also musical director for the European premiere of The Okavango Macbeth and assistant MD for The ESO production of The Rake’s Progress. In September he will take up a place at the Royal Academy of Music to study Piano Accompaniment. Nick is currently working with Falkirk Council on a new production of Billy Elliot the Musical, and will conduct the orchestra on the EUMS 2011 Belgian-French Tour.

In his own words, Nick has “had the time of his life, and can’t imagine spending it with finer people.”

IAIN MCLARTY

Multi instrumentalist, composer and conductor Iain McLarty has a varied and interesting background steeped in music, and we as a society have had the pleasure of being an important part of it. He was principal conductor of our very own Sinfonia from 2006 until 2009, and still offers his services to us from time to time, performing and conducting in concerts with us to this day.

Iain grew up in Glasgow where his earliest musical experiences were as a singer. He was a member of the RSNO Junior Chorus and performed across the UK with Scottish Opera, including broadcasts for BBC TV and Radio. In 1999 he was awarded a place at the prestigious Music School of Douglas Academy, studying singing with Ruth Dean, piano with Claire Haslin and viola with renowned teacher James Durrant.

Over the years he has played with the National Children’s Orchestra of Scotland, performed as a soloist and chamber musician in events around Glasgow including performing in the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall and giving the final performance of the 2005 Glasgow Music Festival in a vocal duet,

He has also composed numerous successful pieces including Reverie for alto saxophone and piano, which won the composition class at the Glasgow Music Festival, Reflections for flute, clarinet and cello with John Harris and the Paragon Ensemble and Jow for four bass clarinets as part of the Scottish Clarinet Quartet’s “Songs of the Earth” project.

His first steps towards conducting were taken at the Canford Conducting Course in 2006 with George Hurst. He was subsequently appointed conductor of our very own Sinfonia, which he conducted from 2006-2009 including joint concerts with the EUMS Chorus, a tour to Ireland and involvement in a series of education projects with local schools.

Groups who have performed under his baton now include the Kelvin Ensemble, Exile Chamber Orchestra and the New Scottish Choir and Orchestra. He continues his association with the University of Edinburgh through his regular rehearsals with Edinburgh University String and Chamber Orchestras, performances with the Savoy Opera Group and founding of the Edinburgh University Sinfonietta, alongside his rehearsals and performances with EUMS. He has recently been appointed as a fellow with the RSNO Chorus, acting as Assistant Conductor for the 2010/11 season.

Find out more about Iain on his website at www.iainmclarty.co.uk.