The Orchestra of Scottish Opera and Chorus & Derek Clark
Biographie The Orchestra of Scottish Opera and Chorus & Derek Clark
The Orchestra of Scottish Opera
plays in the Company's productions across Scotland, including performances at Glasgow Theatre Royal, Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Eden Court in Inverness and Aberdeen’s His Majesty’s Theatre, and in touring performances in England, Northern Ireland, Europe, and beyond.
The Orchestra also gives regular concert performances, including The Sunday Series at the Theatre Royal Glasgow for which it utilises a custom-built acoustic shell. The Series includes both operatic and non-operatic repertoire, ranging from Haydn and Beethoven symphonies to rarely performed operatic works, in which they are joined by world class singers.
The Orchestra works with the City of Glasgow Chorus, Celtic Connections, Dundee Choral Society, Paisley Opera, and choral unions and societies around the country.
The Orchestra was formed in 1980 by Scottish Opera’s founder and first Music Director, Sir Alexander Gibson. The conductors John Mauceri, Sir Richard Armstrong, Francesco Corti and Stuart Stratford have since followed in Sir Alex’s footsteps.
Many of the more than 50 players in the Orchestra are Visiting Tutors to the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow – ensuring that their skills and experience are passed on to the orchestral players of tomorrow. They also play in chamber ensembles or as soloists or section principals with orchestras throughout the UK.
Derek Clark
was born in Glasgow, and is an Honours graduate of the RSAMD and the University of Durham. He studied at the London Opera Centre before joining Welsh National Opera as a repertory in 1977, making his professional conducting début in 1981.
He has been Head of Music at Scottish Opera since 1997, and has conducted more than 25 operas for the company.
In recent years he has also specialised in contemporary music, as conductor of all three seasons of Scottish Opera’s highly successful Five: 15 project, and has premieres of works by James MacMillan, Philip Glass, Craig Armstrong and Rory Boyle.
He works as an accompanist, appearing regularly throughout the country, and is a regular Guest Coach at the major conservatoires and colleges and at the National Opera Studio.
He was appointed Musical Director of Dundee Choral Union in 2011, and since 2014 has been Director of Music at Helensburgh Parish Church.
