Nicholas Cleobury
Encyclopedia
Nicholas Cleobury is an English conductor
.
He was organ scholar
at Worcester College, Oxford
, conductor of Schola Cantorum of Oxford
and held assistant organist
posts at Chichester Cathedral
and Christ Church, Oxford
before turning to orchestra
l and opera
tic work. He is Founder-Laureate of the Britten Sinfonia
and has been particularly active in the promotion of contemporary music.
His brother Stephen Cleobury
is Director of Music at King's College, Cambridge
.
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
.
He was organ scholar
Organ scholar
An organ scholar is a young musician employed as a part-time assistant organist at an institution where regular choral services are held. The idea of an organ scholarship is to provide the holder with playing, directing and administrative experience....
at Worcester College, Oxford
Worcester College, Oxford
Worcester College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. The college was founded in the eighteenth century, but its predecessor on the same site had been an institution of learning since the late thirteenth century...
, conductor of Schola Cantorum of Oxford
Schola Cantorum of Oxford
Schola Cantorum of Oxford is the longest running chamber choir of Oxford University, and one of the longest established and widely known chamber choirs in the UK. It was founded in 1960 by the British-Hungarian conductor Laszlo Heltay as 'The Collegium Musicum Oxoniense' before adopting the name...
and held assistant organist
Organist
An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists...
posts at Chichester Cathedral
Chichester Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity, otherwise called Chichester Cathedral, is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Chichester. It is located in Chichester, in Sussex, England...
and Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
before turning to orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
l and opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
tic work. He is Founder-Laureate of the Britten Sinfonia
Britten Sinfonia
Britten Sinfonia is a chamber orchestra ensemble based in Cambridge, UK. It was created in 1992, following an initiative from Eastern Arts and a number of key figures including Nicholas Cleobury, who recognised the need for an orchestra in the East of England. It is a flexible ensemble composed of...
and has been particularly active in the promotion of contemporary music.
His brother Stephen Cleobury
Stephen Cleobury
Stephen Cleobury CBE is an English organist and conductor. He was organ scholar at St John's College, Cambridge and sub-organist of Westminster Abbey before becoming Master of Music at Westminster Cathedral in 1979...
is Director of Music at King's College, Cambridge
King's College, Cambridge
King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college's full name is "The King's College of our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge", but it is usually referred to simply as "King's" within the University....
.
External links
- Nicholas Cleobury web site (accessed May 2006)
- Interview by Bruce Duffie, 2001