Conductor

Marcello Palazzo

Marcello is a third year Music student studying at St. Chad’s College Durham, where he was a Choral Scholar in his first year. He began his studies at Junior Guildhall, and is a violinist, pianist, singer, conductor and composer.

A previous Music Scholar at secondary school, Marcello has received conducting tuition from Peter Stark, Timothy Burke and Jac Van Steen. As an orchestral conductor, he has been extremely fortunate to have had permission to watch rehearsals under conductors such Antonio Pappano, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Ed Gardner and Simon Rattle, amongst others. Marcello feels very fortunate to have been present at Oliver Knussen’s final rehearsals with the BBCSO and George Benjamin’s rehearsals for his latest opera, Lessons in Love and Violence.

As a composer, he has been both Shortlisted and Highly Commended in the BBC Inspire Composition Competition and awarded a place as an NYO composer. Marcello was awarded 2nd prize at the Windsor Festival for vocal composition. He has engaged in masterclasses with Nico Muhly and Laura Bowler, and has studied with Christian Mason, David Horne, Laurence Osborn and Jonathan Woolgar. He is currently studying privately with Julian Anderson. Marcello recently won the DUOS Composition Competition under adjudication from James Weeks, John Casken and Sir Thomas Allen. His winning composition will be performed at The Sage in Gateshead with Sir Thomas Allen as narrator in June 2021.

In his previous two years at Durham, Marcello has also been the conductor of Durham University Chamber Choir, and has founded two ensembles: The Patchwork Ensemble and Durham University Concert Opera (DUCO), of which he was Musical Director and President. Marcello was also appointed Assistant Musical Director of Durham University Opera Ensemble (DOE) in the first term of his first year, and Musical Director during his second term. Other interests include writing short stories, poetry and plays; whilst at school, he won a regional poetry competition and directed and acted in his own play.

Marcello intends to take his composing and conducting onwards into professional capacities and is absolutely thrilled to be working with DUOS this academic year (2020/21).