Bramwell Tovey

Bramwell Tovey, the outstanding British conductor, was appointed Music Director of the Vancouver Symphony in September 2000.

In his first season with this orchestra he has enjoyed great success in a broad range of programming from the opening night of Mahler Symphony No. 1 to the choral masterpiece by Benjamin Britten, the War Requiem. Also in this season Mr Tovey made his debut with the New York Philharmonic and has worked with the London Philharmonic, the Toronto Symphony and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

Bramwell Tovey conducts a huge range of works across the whole of the musical spectrum. His strong commitment to new music was demonstrated during his time as a Music Director of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra in Canada where he founded a New Music Festival and was its Artistic Director for 10 years. During that time the Festival premiered more than 250 new works by a broad range of international and Canadian composers. Practically all of these concerts were broadcast on the CBC in Canada. Tovey also has a strong affinity with choral works and has conducted works from Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 through to Bach’s Mass in B Minor. He also has premiered new choral works including the oratorio Resurrection by Canadian Composer Victor Davies. In the opera house he has conducted operas by Puccini, Strauss, Mozart, Menotti, Poulenc, Britten and most recently Stravinsky, when he conducted The Rake’s Progress with the Edmonton Opera. Further plans include the premiere of a new opera on a joint commission from the Banff Centre and the Calgary Opera for 2003.

In recent seasons Bramwell Tovey has conducted orchestras across Canada including the Toronto Symphony, the Calgary Symphony, the Montreal Symphony and the National Arts Centre Orchestra (Ottawa). In the UK he has performed with the London Philharmonic, the London Symphony, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the City of Birmingham Orchestra. In recent seasons he has also performed with orchestras including the Belgian National Orchestra, the Israel Sinfonietta, the Leipzig Radio Orchestra and the Ravinia Festival Orchestra, where he conducted a special concert with Bryn Terfel in September 1999. His Australian debut with the Adelaide Symphony resulted in invitations to further concerts there with several orchestra.

In addition to conducting, Bramwell has a range of interests including composition where most recently his new Cello Concerto was premiered at the New Music Festival in Winnipeg in January 2001. He has also composed for brass band and enjoyed great success with his Requiem premiered by the Hannaford Street Silver Band in Toronto in 2000. This work will be recorded in Spring 2001. Mr Tovey is an accomplished jazz pianist and has enjoyed performing and recording in that idiom over the years.

Bramwell Tovey has a well deserved reputation as an exceptional communicator. His debut on the renowned Young People’s series of the New York Philharmonic last season resulted in immediate re-invitation to conduct more concerts on that series and additional concerts as part of the New York Philharmonic’s regular season.

Bramwell Tovey’s work for television includes two documentaries with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and a special production of Sleeping Beauty for British television. In Canada, CBC TV recently broadcast a special Adrienne Clarkson presentation Revelation on the world premiere of Victor Davies Oratorio, premiered by Tovey and the Winnipeg Symphony.

Tovey holds an honorary Associateship of the Royal Academy of Music and an honorary Doctorate of Laws from the University of Winnipeg. He was awarded the Canada 125th Anniversary Medal in recognition of his contribution to Canadian cultural life. In 1999 Bramwell Tovey received an honorary Doctorate of Laws from the University of Manitoba and the Joan Chalmers Award for Artistic Direction, a prestigious Canadian prize worth $25,000 awarded for an outstanding contribution in a professional performing arts organisation.