The English Concert Singers

Roy Wales

Roy Wales has held significant positions as Director of the Queensland Conservatorium of Music in Australia (Griffith University), Director of Music at the University of Warwick and Professor and Dean of the Birmingham School of Music (now Conservatoire). He was awarded an MA from the City University, London, and gained his Doctorate at the University of Washington in the USA where he was a Fulbright Scholar.

As a conductor, he has worked with many orchestras and choirs including the BBC Singers, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, London Mozart Players, Hungarian Mendelssohn Chamber Orchestra, Estonian Symphony Orchestra, Szczecin Philharmonic Orchestra in Poland and the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra in Croatia. He is currently Music Director of the English Concert Orchestra. Roy Wales has been a member of the Jury at many international choir competitions and festivals in Australia, Switzerland, Holland, France, Spain, Germany, Ireland, Malta, Hungary, Austria and the Czech Republic. He has directed many choirs in the UK and abroad and for 17 years he was the Founder/Director of the international prize-winning choir The London Chorale.

Since 1989 he has been the Director of the English Concert Singers and the English Concert Chorus with whom he has made major tours to South America, Israel, South Africa, Russia, China and Hong Kong, Australia, West Indies, Poland, Germany, France, Croatia and Turkey (Istanbul). He was Chairman of the Association of British Choral Directors from 1989-1993 and was a Founder/President of the Australian Choral Conductors’ Association (1984-1987). Since 1993 Roy Wales has been Director of the British Choral Institute with whom he has directed numerous choral and choral conducting courses.

Roy Wales has also directed many international and choir festivals during the last twenty years including the Bournemouth International Festival, the 1st British International University Choir Festival and, from 2002-2007, the British International Male Voice Choir Festivals held in Cornwall. He is currently Director of the Rottingdean Spring Music Festival, held annually in late February/March and Chairman of Rottingdean Arts.