Simon Halsey

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Simon Halsey, Palau de la Música Catalana , Barcelona (2016)

Simon Patrick Halsey (born March 8, 1958 in Kingston upon Thames , Surrey ) is a British conductor and choir director . From April 2001 to May 2015 Halsey was chief conductor of the Rundfunkchor Berlin .

life and work

Born in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey in 1958, Halsey became music director of the University of Warwick at the age of 22 . He is the son of a choir director and a singer. Halsey was trained at traditional English choir schools , such as New College , Oxford and King's College , Cambridge .

He has taught at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama , Cardiff and is visiting professor at the University of Minnesota and Yale University. In June 2000 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Central England , Birmingham .

In October 2010 he was awarded the Cross of Merit 1st Class of the Federal Republic of Germany. In June 2016 he received the Mendelssohn Sibling Medal from the Berlin Choir Association for his services to Berlin choir life.

Halsey has served as the choir director of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra since 1982 . From 2001 to 2015 he held the position of chief conductor of the Rundfunkchor Berlin , and from the 2015/2016 season he is honorary conductor there. Since August 2012 he has also been working closely with the London Symphony Orchestra and directing the London Symphony Choir .

Simon Halsey lives in Birmingham and Berlin.

Literature (selection)

  • Simon Halsey: Short biography In: Michael Kennedy, Joyce Bourne: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music. Oxford University Press, 2004, p. 315 ff.
  • Simon Halsey: Schott Master Class choral conducting. From concept to concert. Schott Music, Mainz 2011, ISBN 978-3-7957-0755-2 (book with DVD)

Web links

Commons : Simon Halsey  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. Simon Halsey at Bach Cantatas (English)
  2. Biographical data of Simon Halsey in: David M. Cummings (Ed.): International Who's Who in Music and Musicians Directory. Thirteenth Edition 1992/1993. Melrose Press, Cambridge 1992/1993, ISBN 0-948875-11-9 , p. 447
  3. Honor for services to the Berlin choir life - Simon Halsey awarded the Mendelssohn Sibling Medal . magazin.klassik.com, June 17, 2016; Retrieved June 17, 2016
  4. Simon Halsey. in: Berlinerfestspiele