Ivor Setterfield

Ivor Setterfield is a Conductor and Countertenor, and currently Musical Drirector of London’s largest choir, Barts Choir.

Education

After beginning his musical studies with the violin, then as a boy treble at St Alban’s Cathedral, Ivor studied at the Univeristy of York Graduating with a BA (Hons) in Music in 1998. He then continued his studies at the Royal Academy of Music from 1988 to 1994, first on the opera course from 1988 to 1991 then the conducting course from 1991 to 1994. An Opera Conducting Scholarship at the London Royal Schools’ Vocal Faculty followed this. He completed his studies with a masterclass with the great Russian pedagogue Ilya Musin and Valery Gergiev, in Sienna.

Conducting

Orchestras

The Orchestras that Ivor has conducted include;

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Marylebone Sinfonia, London Mozart Players, Jersey Symphony Orchestra, The City of London Sinfonia, Insurance Orchestra Anhaltische Philharmonie, Dessau, New Sussex Opera Orchestra, New London Soloists Orchestra, Nonesuch Orchestra, Belmont Ensemble of London, Royal College of Music Opera Orchestra, Sofia Philharmonic, Bulgaria, Royal Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra, Leicester Symphony Orchestra, Royal Academy of Music Sinfonia, Virtuosi Pragenses, Prague, The Hanover Band

Opera

Ivor has credit’s on 3 Operatic productions as Assistant conductor, all in 1995, an in this conducted these roles conducted 5 performances.

Recording

Ivor Conducts the New London Singers, and with them has recorded a number of CDs including Vivaldi Gloria recorded in 2008, Requiem, recorded in 2006, Martin & Pizzetti, recorded in 2003, Sweet was the Song: a collection of English music for Christmas, recorded in 2001 and Rachmaninov Vespers’ recorded in 2000.

Prizes and Awards

Ivor has won a number of awards, prizes and scholorships, these include;

 Semi-finalist, Donatella Flick Conducting Competition, May 1998, October 2000

 PRS Award for Enterprise, World Première of Philip White’s When All The Earth is Paradise, Dorking 29/11/1997

 Opera Conducting Scholarship, London Royal Schools’ Vocal Faculty, RAM/RCM, 1994-95

 The Philharmonia Choral Conducting Scholarship, 1993-94

 The Philharmonia Choral Conducting Scholarship, 1991-92

 Henry Wood Conducting Award, RAM, 1990

 Prizewinner, John Ireland Singing Prize, RAM, 1989

 Prizewinner, Elena Gerhardt Lieder Prize, RAM, 1991

 Alan Kirby Prize for Choral Training, RAM, 1989-90 & 1991-92

 Thomas Armstrong Conducting Prize, RAM, 1990-91

 Sir William Walton Scholarship, RAM, 1989

 The Clothworkers’ Foundation Award, RAM, 1989

Television

Ivor has appeared in a number of TV shows. His 2006 documentary The Singing Estate, shown on the UK’s Channel 5, was nominated for the Rose d’Or award . In the 2008 BBC show Maestro, He mentored the DJ Goldie, who archived second place, despite having come out on top in the judges ratings. In 2009 the BBC brought the pair together again for Classic Goldie, as Ivor again mentored Goldie, this time in the composition of a piece for the Family Prom. Ivor also appeared on a number of other TV shows including Richard and Judy, The Wright show and the One Show as well as 10 best Choral Masterpieces for BBC 4.