Oliver Neal Parker
In September 2021 we were delighted to welcome Oliver Neal Parker as our new Music Director.
Oliver trained as both a singer and conductor, studying at Northampton Music School, University of Surrey, University of Freiburg in Germany, and The Juilliard School in New York City.
An accomplished singer in his own right, Oliver brings knowledge and expertise of working with singers in a variety of disciplines, from opera and musical theatre to choral concerts and performances in liturgical settings. He began his conducting career as Music Director of Guildford Opera, where productions included Mozart Le nozze di Figaro, Offenbach Les Contes d'Hoffmann, Stravinsky The Rake's Progress and Bernstein Trouble in Tahiti. Between 1999 and 2003 he conducted orchestral performances in the Guildford International Music Festival. Since then he has worked as Assistant Conductor and Chorus Master, British Youth Opera; Director, Schola Cantorum Greenwich, Director of Music, St James the Greater, Leicester; Music Director, Ceramic City Choir, Stoke-on-Trent; Chorus Master, Leicester Philharmonic Choir; Music Director, Milton Keynes Chorale; and Guest Conductor for both Northampton Festival Opera and Northampton Bach Choir. He has also broadcast for BBC Radio and SWR in Germany.
Oliver has prepared choirs and soloists for a number of conductors, including Lorin Maazel, Sir Neville Marriner, David Hill, Edward Gardner, Noel Davies, Hilary Davan Wetton and Stephen Layton. He has also prepared singers for performances with Yale Opera, Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, London Concert Orchestra, Guildford Philharmonic Orchestra and the American Classical Orchestra. As a chorus master, he has prepared choirs for performances of Mendelssohn Elijah in Leicester and Elgar The Dream of Gerontius with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall.
His conducting credits include Bach Mass in B Minor with Florilegium; Haydn Nelson Mass with Manchester Camerata; Verdi Requiem, Mendelssohn Elijah and Elgar The Music Makers with the Orchestra da Camera; Vaughan Williams A Sea Symphony with the National Festival Orchestra. Oliver is currently the Music Director of Stratford-upon-Avon Choral Society, where performances have included Handel Samson, Brahms Requiem, Mendelssohn Lobgesang and Mozart Requiem with Regency Sinfonia, and Bach St John Passion with Instruments of Time and Truth.
In 2011, Oliver founded the Devana Consort, a vocal and instrumental ensemble, with whom projects have included recording for EMI, Sony and ITV.
For many years, Oliver has been involved in training the next generation of musicians. Having previously worked at Uppingham School in Rutland, Loughborough Schools Foundation, Kingswood School in Bath and the University of Surrey, Oliver is currently Head of Vocal Studies at Cheltenham Ladies’ College.
Learn more about Oliver Neal Parker at his website here.
