James Lowe

James Lowe is the Artistic Director of the New Bristol Sinfonia and the Hallé Harmony Youth Orchestra, and between 2004 and 2007 was the Associate Conductor of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

After graduating from the University of Edinburgh with a First-Class Honours degree in music, he began studying conducting in a series of master classes with Finnish pedagogue Jorma Panula. In 2001, he was invited to be the Benjamin Zander Conducting Fellow with the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra.

Whilst working with the RSNO as Associate Conductor, Lowe conducted the orchestra across the entire range of their performing activities, from regional tours to the Last Night of the Scottish Proms and season concerts. Lowe continues his development by working closely with leading conductors in master classes, including Neeme Järvi, Bernard Haitink and latterly with Valery Gergiev and the London Symphony Orchestra.

One of three finalists in the second BBC Conductors Competition and one of two prizewinners in the Tokyo International Competition for Conductors, he has appeared in performance with the Osaka and Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestras, the Residentie Orkest, the Moscow Chamber Orchestra, the St. Petersburg Academic Symphony Orchestra, the National Arts Centre Orchestra of Canada, the New Japan Philharmonic and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, as well as working with numerous other orchestras in many European countries, South Africa and the USA.

Recently Lowe has made debuts with Scottish Ballet, the orchestra of Welsh National Opera, and with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, stepping in at late notice to replace Frans Brüggen. Future engagements include the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra and the Hallé Orchestra.

James Lowe will feature in two upcoming documentaries; The Interpreters, a German film following three young conductors, and The Band following the Hallé Harmony Youth Orchestra, to be shown on Channel 4 in 2010.

Photo © Trond Husebø

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28 September 2009