Conductors
Craig Lawton
Craig Lawton is an aspiring young conductor in Southampton. Currently studying for finals in Music at the University of Southampton, Craig is an active conductor of a wide range of ensembles. As well as being the University Symphony Orchestra's Assistant Conductor, Craig also assists the University Sinfonietta, and is Director of the Concerto Orchestra.
Until January of this year, Craig held the post of Director of Music at Jesus Chapel St. Mary Extra 'Peartree' in Bitterne for 4 years where he conducted the choir in weekly services as well as numerous charity concerts performing pieces from Tallis to Tavener.
As a Choral Orchestral conductor, Craig has conducted successful performances of major works including: Mozart Requiem and Coronation Mass, Vivaldi Gloria, and Vaughan Williams' Fantasia on Christmas Carols.
Craig also enjoys an active role with the City of Southampton Orchestra, not only as a percussionist but also as the first person to be accepted on the Assistant Conductor Scheme in 2005. This position along with the University Symphony Orchestra has allowed Craig the opportunity to conduct in all the major venues in the city.
Craig receives musical training at Southampton University from David Owen Norris and Robin Browning, and organ tutelage from Sarah Baldock in Winchester Cathedral. Outside university, Craig works alongside and has further advice in orchestral and choral directing from John Traill and Anthony Burns-Cox.
Christopher Tarrant
Christopher has recently graduated with a degree in music from Lady Margaret Hall, University of Oxford and leads an extremely varied and fruitful musical life there as well as in Southampton. Further to playing the violin in the Oxford-based ensemble 'The Shelley Trio', whose recent concerts include performances of Ravel and Smetana, he recently performed in a production of Britten's 'The Turn of the Screw' with Oxford Opera Company.
His career as a conductor began on accepting the post of Music Society President at Lady Margaret Hall and founding the orchestra in October 2005. Since then, he has led the orchestra to successful performances of major works including Beethoven's 2nd Symphony and the Fauré Requiem in conjunction with the college choir. In Southampton, in cooperation with Craig Lawton, Christopher has conducted the Charity Symphony Orchestra in performances of Schubert's 8th Symphony and Sibelius's 'Pelleas and Melisande'.
As an orchestrator Christopher studied with Dr Jonathan Williams in 2006/7 and has since developed an interest in orchestrating 19th-century piano and chamber repertoire. Christopher currently holds a place to study Musical Analysis and Theory at Royal Holloway, University of London later this year.