Conductors

John Beswick

John Beswick read Music at Hertford College, Oxford, where he was an Organ Scholar, before completing postgraduate studies - as a repetiteur at the Guildhall School of Music - and in orchestral conducting at the Royal College of Music. His mentors included George Hurst, Neil Thomson, and Odaline de la Martinez.

  • Appointed Conductor of the Redhill Sinfonia in 2012, John has previously held posts with the Slough Philharmonic Society and the Southampton Youth Concert Sinfonia, and has appeared as guest conductor with a wide range of orchestras, including the Bedford Symphony Orchestra, Kew Sinfonia, Oxford University Orchestra, Oxford Chamber Orchestra, and Hertfordshire Philharmonia. His work with professional ensembles includes engagements with The Bristol Ensemble, The British Sinfonietta, and Ensemble Eos Cymru, with whom he recorded works by Welsh composer Christopher Weeks.

    In opera, John has served as Musical Director for Swansea City Opera since 2012, following earlier roles with the Icelandic National Opera and Grange Park Opera. He has conducted over 30 operatic productions on tour throughout the UK and the United States for companies including Swansea City Opera, Pimlico Opera, London City Opera, Crystal Clear, and Opera Box.

    John has also had an active career in musical theatre. He has worked as Assistant Musical Director and Musical Director for successive UK tours of Miss Saigon, and was Associate Musical Director for the West End production of Les Misérables (2004–2006) as well as the O2 Arena production of Damon Albarn's Monkey: Journey to the West (2008–2009). As a keyboard player, he has performed in many productions, including Legally Blonde, Jersey Boys, The Phantom of the Opera, and Avenue Q. More recently, John has founded and serves as Artistic Director for two ensembles: : Ensemble Erik, whose current project involves performances of works by Philip Glass (www.ensemble-erik.com) and Green Octopus Band, who are dedicated to a recording project of original compositions (www.john-beswick.com/green-octopus-band).

Marc Dooley

Musical Director of the Fulham Symphony Orchestra since 2001, Marc Dooley has enjoyed conducting many exciting and ambitious projects, including broadcasts on BBC Radio 3, performances of the large-scale symphonic repertoire, concertos with leading soloists and much contemporary music.

  • He is often invited to work as a guest with other orchestras, and works regularly as an ensemble and chamber music coach with students of all ages.

    A clarinettist by training, Marc studied at Trinity College of Music and the University of York.

    He sits on the board of the charity Contemporary Music for All for whom he has edited the ‘Open Score’ anthologies, and has enjoyed a parallel career in music publishing with a special interest in the music of our time.

Cristian Cimei

Cristian Cimei is a distinguished orchestral and opera conductor who has collaborated with world-renowned artists such as Luciano Pavarotti, Ennio Morricone, Simon Callow, Dame Janet Suzman, and Kristin Lewis. Known for his uncompromising artistic standards and clear musical vision, Cristian brings passion, inspiration, and strong leadership to every performance.

  • He has appeared in many prestigious venues across the globe, including the Boston Opera House, Lincoln Center (New York), Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre (Atlanta), Capitol Theatre (Sydney), Melbourne Arts Centre, Tokyo Bunka Kaikan, Hyogo Performing Arts Center (Osaka), Gunpo Culture & Arts Center (Seoul), and the National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall (Taipei). Holding an Advanced Master’s degree in conducting, he is currently completing his Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA).

    In 2023, Cristian joined the London Performing Academy of Music (LPMAM) as Professor of Opera. That same year, he was also invited to conduct the soloists of the Teatro San Carlo in Naples.

    Since 2022, Cristian has served as Principal Conductor of the Surrey Philharmonic Orchestra.

William Birkbeck

William Birkbeck is a dynamic conductor whose performances have taken him across the UK, Europe, and the USA, leading ensembles including Cameristi della Scala in Milan, the Sofia Philharmonic, the Franz Haydn Orchestra at the Vienna Musikverein, and the Czech Chamber Philharmonic. He is currently Music Director and Head Conductor of the Holborn Symphony Orchestra and Guest Conductor of the Bath Symphony Orchestra, having previously served as Assistant Conductor with London’s Orpheus Sinfonia.

  • Alongside his work with professional orchestras, William has developed strong relationships with leading amateur ensembles, regularly conducting the London Repertoire Orchestra, I Maestri London, and the Reading Symphony Orchestra. He greatly values the passion and commitment of these orchestras and the opportunity to bring ambitious repertoire to a wide community of players and audiences. William is the recipient of several international awards, including third prize and the Award for Contemporary Creation at the Vienna International Conducting Competition, where he conducted the premiere of Rainer Bischof’s Fünf Orchesterminiaturen. He also received the Maurice Peress Young Conductors Award in New York and was awarded a fellowship at the Giorgio Cini Foundation in Venice for contemporary performance. Also an accomplished clarinettist, William has toured extensively as both a soloist and orchestral musician across the USA, Europe, Australia, the Middle East, and North Africa, and has collaborated with composers including Pierre Boulez, Kaija Saariaho, Peter Eötvös, and Eric Tanguy.