CONDUCTOR - RICHARD CARTMALE

Richard Cartmale studied conducting, percussion, piano and composition at Trinity College of Music, London, where his conducting work earned him a number of distinctions, culminating in winning the Ricordi Conducting Prize. Whilst establishing his craft as a conductor, he began to study singing, which established itself as his major professional activity for some years.

He was a member of the English National Opera until 2007, when he finally left to redevelop his conducting career. During his time with the company he sang alongside many of the leading singers of the past 15 years and worked under major conductors, including Sir Charles Mackerras, Sir Mark Elder, Vladimir Jurowski and James Levine. He also continued to undertake occasional concert and opera conducting appearances, wherever his singing work permitted and twice conducted The English National Opera orchestra in public as part of his farewell to the company. His abilities as a choral trainer owe much to his 20 years as a professional singer, as do his abilities to empathise with the work of the singing actor, both in opera and musical theatre, a field in which he is now very active, both as coach and musical director. He has worked as MD/coach to a number of theatre schools. He also teachers musical theatre audition techniques at the Arts Educational School in London and continues to coach an number of professional singers.