Musical Director: Michael Betteridge
Michael is an award winning composer, musical director and animateur based in Manchester. His undergraduate studies were at the University of Manchester where he graduated with first class honours and received the Hargreaves Prize for Composition in June 2009.
His music has been heard at Harrogate International Festival, the English Song Weekend in Ludlow, CBSO Centre, Town Hall and Adrian Boult Concert Hall all in Birmingham, the Cosmo Rodewald Concert Hall in Manchester including for the International Byron Conference in 2008, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and various other venues around the country.
His music has also featured in various plays in Manchester and beyond including a production of The Wyrd Sisters with Banbury Cross Players that was later selected for the RSC's Open Stages initiative. Also passionate about new musical theatre Michael's two latest productions Indigestion and A Fist Full of Love will be seeing further performances both in this country and internationally after success at the Not Part Of Festival in Manchester in July 2011.
As a musical director he has worked for numerous organizations including Manchester Universities Gilbert and Sullivan Society (MUGSS), Shilo, Lordswood Girls' School in Birmingham, amongst others. As an animateur he has worked for Opera North, BBC Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra and Birmingham Contemporary Music Group (BCMG). He also currently works for the Rochdale Music Service as a singing teacher and choir leader.
As a singer Michael has performed all over Manchester and in his home town of Oxford. In Manchester he has sung at the Bridgewater Hall with numerous choirs as well as performing at a pre-concert talk in January 2009 presenting Nielsen songs with new translations.
Michael is currently undertaking a MMus in Composition at the Royal Northern College of music after being awarded a scholarship. He is studying composition with Adam Gorb and Gary Carpenter and conducting with Mark Heron.