Jeremy Backhouse is now established as one of Britain's leading choral conductors. He joined the Vivace Chorus in 1995 and also conducts the London-based Vasari Singers, widely acknowledged as one of the finest chamber choirs in the country. In 2009 he took on the post of Musical Director of the Salisbury Community Choir. He inspires vivid, passionate performances, exhibiting an intensity not to be found in many choral directors.
Jeremy was Head Chorister at Canterbury Cathedral; he studied music and composition at Liverpool University and began his career as a Music Editor with EMI and consultant editor for Boosey & Hawkes. From 1998 to 2004 he was conductor of the Wooburn Singers, following in the footsteps of Richard Hickox and Stephen Jackson. He has worked with the Philharmonia Chorus, the BBC Singers, the Brighton Festival Chorus and the London Choral Society.
Major concert works under his baton include Mahler's 8th Symphony, Prokofiev's ‘Alexander Nevsky' and Rachmaninov's 3rd Piano Concerto. He is as much at home with music from the Baroque period as with 21st century music having commissioned over 20 works in the last few years, including Will Todd's ‘Te Deum' for the Vivace Chorus. Other works with the Vasari Singers have included Bach's ‘B Minor Mass', Tallis's ‘Spem in Alium' and works by Francis Pott, James Macmillan and Jonathan Dove.
With the Vivace Chorus, Jeremy introduced a series of modern concerts under the umbrella title of the Contemporary Choral Classics Cycle, performing works such as Jenkins's ‘The Armed Man', Rutter's Gloria and Todd's ‘Te Deum'.
He has broadcast frequently on BBC Radios 3 and 4 and recorded under the EMI, Cala/United, Signum and Guild labels.
Please visit www.jeremybackhouse.com for further information.
