Our Conductors
Symphony Orchestra
(he/him)
DEGREE: Mathematics
COLLEGE: Hild Bede
Monty has a wide spectrum of musical interests and developed a passion for music at an early age; starting the violin aged 4, the piano aged 5, and achieving diplomas in both.
Monty has extensive experience leading and playing chamber music and has conducted and played with choirs and orchestras around the UK and Europe. Particularly enjoyable were conducting DUOS in Sage Gateshead, performing a viola solo in Guildford Cathedral and singing and playing in St. Mark's, Venice, as well as La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona. As an organ scholar at school and St. Mary's, Merton, he has also conducted, rehearsed choirs, and played the organ in cathedrals around the UK, including St. Paul's, Ely, Durham, Bristol, Westminster, Chichester, and at Hampton Court and Windsor Castle. He also works regularly as a freelance choral director and organist, working in and around London.
Over the past two years, as well as conducting the DUOS Symphony Orchestra, Monty musically directed and conducted a number of performances of Don Giovanni with the Durham Opera Ensemble as well as musically directing three of Durham University Light Opera Group’s musical theatre productions, winning a Palatinate award for Best Musical Director at the end of his third year. He has also recently taken up the position of Associate Conductor with the Durham University Choral Society, with whom he has conducted Fauré, Parry and Górecki on tour in Poland.
When Monty is not conducting, playing or directing music and theatre, he is studying for a Master’s Degree in Mathematics. In his first year, he was awarded a prize for outstanding performance on the Natural Sciences degree programmes and in his second year, he won the prize for the best academic performance in Mathematics by a second-year student. However, in the future he hopes to take conducting on in a professional capacity.
Monty has thoroughly enjoyed conducting the DUOS Symphony Orchestra over the past two years and is delighted that he has been re-appointed for a third year for which he has lots of exciting projects in store!
Chamber Orchestra
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(he/him)
DEGREE: Music
COLLEGE: Van Mildert
Caleb is a Welsh 3rd year music student from Caerphilly, South Wales. He first showed an interest in music at the age of 7, after seeing a local brass band play in his sister’s dance recital. After falling in love with the sound and music they played, he went to his first rehearsal where he was given a cornet.
He then began singing at the age of 11 with the popular Welsh male voice choir and Britain’s Got Talent finalist Only Boys Aloud. He remained with these ensembles up until his departure to Durham University. During this time, he secured a place on Only Boys Aloud’s prestigious residential course, ‘Academi’, where the choir headlined Lorient’s interceltic festival in front of approximately 18,000 spectators. At the same time, he became a member of the National Youth Choir of Wales. He will be returning to both choirs over the summer to complete two different residential courses and a number of performances in major venues in Wales and Lorient.
Since coming to university, Caleb has engaged in every aspect of musical life here in Durham. He first performed as the leading tenor in Durham Opera Ensemble’s ‘Mixed Messages’ before becoming the Assistant Musical Director for their production of ‘Don Giovanni’. He also conducted Durham University Classical Ensemble last year and ended his role with a concert in the city of Glasgow. He enjoyed his time with DUCE and now looks forward to expanding his experience in conducting later repertoire. Alongside conducting the Chamber Orchestra, Caleb is also president of Durham Opera Ensemble and looks forward to making the most of his final year here in Durham.