Orchestral Performance - Uppingham 2003

Conductor Mark Shanahan

Mark Shanahan was born in Manchester and studied at Chetham's School of Music, London University and the Royal Academy of Music as the Sir Henry Wood Conducting Scholar. He won the NAYO Conducting Competition for European Music Year.

His orchestral work includes broadcasts and concerts with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, RTE Concert Orchestra, Stavanger Symphony and RPO and the Orchestre Filarmonica de Gran Canaria. Mark has conducted for Opera Ireland, English Touring Opera and the Wexford Festival. Since 1993 he has been associated with English National Opera as a guest conductor: this season he conducted their new production of Tosca, described by The Times as 'a musical triumph'.

Future engagements include his debut at the National Reisopera in Holland and Tosca with the Frankfurt Opera and Roberto Alagna. Mark is an honorary associate of the Royal Academy of Music and was recently appointed Visiting Fellow in Conducting at the Royal Northern College of Music.

"Mark Shanahan is much sought-after as an opera conductor in international as well as national opera houses. He has most generously supported NSSO over recent years, both by breaking his summer holiday period with his young family to be with us, and by doing so for a significantly reduced fee. He deeply believes in the work of NSSO, and NSSO is indebted to him for his generosity." (Jill White)