People Page
Richard Laing - Musical Director LYSO
Since winning the sinfonia ViVA Conducting Scholarship in 2001, Richard has established a reputation as one of the most exciting and versatile young conductors in Britain.
Richard studied violin at the University of Illinois and the RNCM, and plays for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Orchestra of the Swan, and as a guest leader for Queen's Park Sinfonia, Sinfonia of Birmingham and the Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra.
In 2002 Richard graduated from the Birmingham Conservatoire with a Master's degree and a postgraduate diploma in conducting. Subsequently he worked intensively on operatic conducting at Dartington with Diego Masson. He has conducted in France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic.
His current posts include:
- Music Director of the Birmingham-based opera company Operamus.
- Associate Conductor of the virtuoso young ensemble Sinfonia Cymru.
- Principal Conductor of the Midlands Sinfonia and the Leamington Chamber Orchestra.
- Music Director of the Worcestershire Symphony Orchestra, the Leicester Bach Choir and the Midlands Chorale.
- Associate Conductor of the Stoneleigh Youth Orchestra in London.
- Conductor and coach in the Department of Vocal and Operatic Studies at the Birmingham Conservatoire where he assists Lionel Friend.
In his limited spare time Richard pursues a wide range of academic interests: he has presented papers on opera and film at the International Conferences in th USA and Australia. Among his proudest achievements are being appointed Vice President of the University of Illinois Triathlon Club and having articles published in the iconic games magazine White Dwarf.
John Doyle - Musical Director LSSO
Heralded as one of the world's leading performers on the Flugel Horn, John Doyle has achieved many things, both as a performer, soloist teacher, clinician and examiner.
Having been brought up in a musical environment John began learning the piano at the age of 9. This led onto a fascination in brass instruments especially Flugelhorn.At the age of 13, John picked up his first cornet and immediately joined the local Brass Band, the Lostock Hall Memorial Band. Having received guidance from the experienced Ron Heyes, John Joined the Lancashire Youth Brass Band, (of which he is now a tutor). After touring countries such as Austria, Belgium, France, Holland and Germany under the creative baton of the world famous cornetist, Peter Read (Principal cornet with Besses, Wingates, and Kings of Brass no less, and now Ensembles Manager at Lancashire Music Service), a decision to further himself was made, joining the Championship section Freckleton Band in 1995.
GCSE and A-Level exams came and went and with the culmination of hard work, a rigorous practice regime and many band practices, John achieved both a place at the Royal Northern College of Music and a first section National title with Freckleton in 1997.
Whilst at the RNCM, John studied with Howard Snell Martin Winter, Roger Webster and Murray Grieg on flugelhorn cornet and trumpet. In terms of his musical career, John played Flugel horn at the BT Band, gaining that all-important place at the British Open Contest. Not only this but he also played the Soprano Comet at The Williams Fairey Band for 6 months, eventually moved over to Yorkshire to play with the World Famous Black Dyke Band, where John has played Flugel Horn now for 8 years.
Jenny Merren - Orchestra Manager
After graduating from the Royal Academy of Music where she was principal Viola in the orchestra conducted by Sir John Barbirolli, Jenny became a member of a String Quartet giving concerts throughout the Midlands. She combined this with teaching and freelancing with the CBSO before moving to Manchester to work with the Hallé Orchestra. This was interrupted by the arrival of two sons and after a few years she resumed a freelance career combined with teaching both at home and in school.
Jenny has worked with RLPO, BBC Philharmonic and Opera North as well as being a founder member of Manchester Camerata with whom she has toured France, Spain, Portugal, the Azores, Hong Kong and Macau. She now divides he time between teaching, conducting and administering the Trafford Youth Orchestras and assisting with the Lancashire Student Orchestras.
In her free time Jenny is to be found on the golf course or watching cricket at Old Trafford.
Jessica Thornhill - LYSO Concert Leader
Jessica was born in Leeds in 1992 and moved with her family to Lancashire in 2000. She started to learn the violin at the age of 5 with her mother, who had played to a high standard as a child herself. Jessica was first tutored by Jean Barnes whilst at primary school in Mellor, near Blackburn. She passed her grade 5 at the age of 11 and then received tuition at home from Katherine Templeman, a professional player who played with the Hallé Orchestra.
In 2006 she started to take lessons from Gaynor Sutcliffe, a graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music and a professional violinist with the renowned local group The Swing Commanders.
Jessica joined the Lancashire Students Symphony Orchestra at the age of 10, playing a specially arranged third violin part. She progressed to lead the junior orchestra for 2 years under Dougie Scarfe before graduating to the LYSO in 2005. She was deputy leader for 2 years before becoming leader in 2008.
She is currently tutored by Helen Brackley-Jones in Stockport, a member of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and music tutor at Huddersfield University. Jessica has played in many school orchestras and chamber groups as well as part of string quartets and also for a number of theatrical groups, sitting in "the pit" for musicals such as Oklahoma and Some Like it Hot. She also plays alto saxophone with the Lancashire Youth Jazz Orchestra.
Jessica is currently studying A levels at Westholme School, Blackburn and hopes to go on to further her music studies at music college after her A levels in 2010.
Jonathan Hoyle - LYSO Concert Leader 2005 - 2008
Jonathan was born in Burnley in 1990 and is the younger of two children. He began learning the violin when he was six with Josephine Whitfield. Subsequently he has had lessons with Suzanne Bareau and then with Benedict Holland in Manchester. He started piano lessons when he was 11 and achieved distinction in Grade 7 with teacher Krystina Adams. He is also working for Grade 8 viola which he plays with Lancashire Chamber Orchestra and Tutti.
Jonathan joined the orchestra in September 2002 and spent the first year in the second violin section. He was appointed leader in September 2005. In his first year at Clitheroe Royal Grammar School 6th form he gained an A grade in A-level music and AS levels in geography, french and general studies.
Most of his spare time is taken up singing and playing in various ensembles, but he is also a keen cricketer and an active member of Nelson Swimming Club.
Jonathan is a previous winner of the Chris Brooks Memorial Prize.
Julian Clayton - Musical Director LYSO to 2008
Julian Clayton was musical director of the LYSO until 2008. He studied violin and conducting at Dartington, Toulouse and Birmingham. Following an early career as a violinist he made his professional debut as a conductor with London Festival Ballet. A recent prize at the International Conductors' Workshop in the Czech Republic has resulted in engagements in Zlin, Olomouc, Salzburg and, most recently, in Hradec Králové. He has worked with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, the Magyar Radio and Television Orchestra, the Surrey Sinfonietta, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Concert Orchestra. Also very active in the world of opera, he has conducted seasons for Opera-on-a-Shoestring and Civit Hills Opera.
Julian Clayton has gained an enviable reputation as one of the foremost trainers of young orchestras, and as such has worked with many student and conservatoire orchestras and opera departments in the UK and abroad, including conducting the massed strings of the London International String Quartet Symposium where he also acted as assistant to Yehudi Menuhin.
In addition to broadcasting on radio and television, Julian's commercial recordings include five discs with the orchestra of Chetham's School of Music, which all met with wide critical acclaim. His recording of Elgar's First Symphony was reviewed by Michael Kennedy as "phenomenal" and a recording of music by Charles Camilleri with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra has just been released. Julian Clayton has recently enjoyed highly successful debuts with the Edinburgh Royal Choral Union, the Limburgs Symphony Orchestra, Maastricht, and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, with whom he has appeared regularly both in the concert hall and the recording studio
In recognition of his outstanding work with young musicians, Julian has recently been appointed Chief Executive and Artistic Director of the National Youth Orchestras of Scotland.