Neil Ferris is Chorus Director of the BBC Symphony Chorus in 2017, Artistic Director of the professional chamber choir Sonoro and Music Director of Wimbledon Choral. He made his BBC Proms conducting debut in 2019, celebrating the 90th Anniversary season of the BBC Symphony Chorus with the premiere of Jonathan Dove’s specially commissioned piece We are one fire.

 

With Sonoro Neil has appeared at the St Magnus International Festival, the Wimbledon International Music Festival and at King’s Place in London. In demand as guest conductor at some of the finest choirs in the UK, Neil has worked with London Symphony Chorus, Choir of the Age of Enlightenment, BBC Singers, the National Youth Choir, and the National Youth Choir of Wales. In his role as a Chorus Director he has prepared choirs for conductors including Marin Alsop, Sir Andrew Davis, Sir Mark Elder, Edward Gardner, Valery Gergiev, Bernard Haitink, Sakari Oramo and Sir Simon Rattle. 

 

Orchestras that Neil has conducted include London Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonia, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Welsh National Opera, Ulster Orchestra, City of London Sinfonia, London Mozart Players and Orchestra of the Swan. He made his Royal Opera House conducting debut in a production of Will Tuckett’s ballet The Wind in the Willows.

 

Formerly Director of Choral Studies at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Neil is recognised as one of the country’s leading teachers of choral conducting and has led masterclasses in the UK, USA, Ireland, Denmark, China and Singapore. In the UK he has been invited to lead masterclasses at the Royal College of Music, Royal Academy of Music and the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.

 

Recordings include an album of the choral music of Jonathan Dove (Naxos), Fauré Requiem (Convivium), and a regular programme of recordings with Sonoro on the Resonus label. Christmas with Sonoro was Christmas album of choice in the BBC Music Magazine, and followed their debut album Passion and Polyphony featuring works of James MacMillan and Frank Martin. Further recordings include two Choral Inspirations projects and an album of the choral music of Martin Bussey. Signum have recently released the world premiere recording of Cecilia McDowall’s Da Vinci Requiem with Wimbledon Choral and City of London Sinfonia.