EAMONN DOUGAN

Eamonn Dougan read music at New College, Oxford, before continuing his vocal and conducting studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He now pursues a busy schedule working as both singer and conductor.

Eamonn is The Sixteen's Associate Conductor, appointed by Harry Christophers in 2006. He has since directed the ensemble to considerable acclaim at concert halls and festivals across England and Europe, including performances at the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Kings Place and his debut at the Concertgebouw, Holland in a programme celebrating the 50th birthday of James MacMillan. Other highlights with The Sixteen have included the world premier of Gabriel Jackson’s Ave Regina Caelorum in collaboration with guitarist Tom Kerstens and the International Guitar Foundation, a recording with Icelandic ensemble Sigur Ros and the closing concert of the Henry VIII 500th anniversary celebrations at the Royal Naval Chapel, Greenwich.

Eamonn has most recently been appointed Principal Guest Conductor of The National Youth Choir of Great Britain and Chorus Director of Britten Sinfonia Voices. He is a regular Guest Conductor with Wroclaw Philharmonic Choir, Poland, the Coro de la Comunidad, Madrid and the St. Endellion Festival Orchestra & Chorus. He is increasingly in demand as a guest conductor and choral coach, having worked with the Hallé Chorus, the City of London Choir, Manchester Chamber Choir and the choir of the chorus of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, as well as preparing choruses for conductors including Martyn Brabbins, Ryan Wigglesworth and Paul McCreesh.

He works regularly with VOICELAB, the SouthBank Centre’s vocal coaching initiative, as well as leading The Sixteen’s Choral Pilgrimage workshops around the country. He is also a visiting professor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London where he teaches ensemble singing and directs the Guildhall Consort who recently made their debut at the City of London Festival. Future projects include further performances with The Sixteen, return visits to the Wroclaw Philharmonic and the Coro de la Comunidad de Madrid, Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms at the St Endellion Festival and assisting Sir Mark Elder on L’enfance du Christ by Berlioz.

As a soloist Eamonn has sung with The Academy of Ancient Music, The Hanover Band, The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra de la Comunidad, Madrid and the Orchestra of The Sixteen under conductors including Edward Higginbottom, Nicholas Kramer, Jeffrey Skidmore and Harry Christophers.

Recent performances have included Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, Mozart’s Requiem and Haydn’s Nelson Mass at Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Bach’s St. John Passion at the Chichester festival, Bach’s B minor mass at the Festival de Musique Ancienne de Lyon and Handel’s Messiah at the Auditorio Nacional de Musica, Madrid.

His solo recordings include Bach’s St John Passion and St Matthew Passion, Handel’s Messiah and Brahms’ Requiem in its two-piano version as well as motets by Giovanni Grillo with His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts, and the premiere recording of Arvo Pärt’s Von Angesicht zu Angesicht.

He has appeared on disc and the concert platform throughout the world with many of Britain’s leading ensembles and is a member of The Sixteen and I Fagiolini.