Our conductor - Robin Browning

Robin Browning enjoys a busy conducting career in the UK and throughout Europe. He is currently music director of five orchestras - Wimbledon Symphony Orchestra, Petersfield Orchestra, Southampton University Symphony Orchestra, Essex Youth Orchestra and De Havilland Philharmonic. Robin has conducted the professional Chelmsford Sinfonietta since its formation in 2006, and is highly committed to training younger musicians, guest-conducting with orchestras at both Trinity College and Guildhall School of Music. Robin was recently involved in the Barbican Young Orchestra project, alongside Peter Stark & Sir Colin Davis.

Since making his debut with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at London's Barbican in 1996 (which was broadcast on Classic FM), Robin has conducted the Hallé, English Northern Philharmonia, Northern Sinfonia, Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Ensemble Intercontemporain. He took second prize in the NAYO Conducting Competition in 1994, and won the inaugural Boosey & Hawkes Award at the Edinburgh Festival the following year. He served as assistant conductor to Mark Elder with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and the London Philharmonic, and has assisted Benjamin Zander with the Philharmonia in the concert hall and recording studio.

Robin studied at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena with Ilya Musin and Myung-Whun Chung. In 2008 he was invited to the David Oistrakh Festival in Estonia for masterclasses and concerts with Neeme and Paavo Järvi. He has also studied with Sir Charles Mackerras, Sian Edwards and Mark Elder. Robin's first professional studio-recording was released in autumn 2008 on the UHRecordings label. He is head of conducting at the University of Southampton.

You can find out more about Robin on his website www.robinbrowning.co.uk.

Photo credit: www.alickcotterill.co.uk.