Ivor Setterfield

Ivor Setterfield is a Conductor and Countertenor, and currently Musical Director 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, Setterfield studied at the University 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

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.

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 achieved 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.