Director : Percussion, Conducting & Theory

Groups : BMA Symphony Orchestra & The Conductor’s Circle

Available : Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday

Spoken Languages : English

Lessons via : Face2Face & Online

PERCUSSION

Kevin is an international independent conductor and, before moving to Malaysia in 1999, BMA’s Director of Academic and Artistic Development was Sub-Principal Percussionist with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, the UK’s oldest and most established provincial professional orchestra.

Kevin was a student at the Royal Academy of Music, London when American conductor, Andrew Litton appointed him to the BSO, and it was with the BSO that Kevin toured the USA twice, Europe on numerous occasions, recorded hundreds of CDs and performed more than twelve hundred concerts over a nine-year period.

Prior to working with the BSO, Kevin studied with Douglas Milne at the Birmingham School of Music where he was subsequently invited to perform with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra making his professional debut as a first year student with Simon Rattle conducting. Later Kevin studied with Stephen Quigley and Nicholas Cole at the Royal Academy of Music, London, where he graduated with first class honours.

Kevin later went to work with the Ballet Rambert, Saddlers Wells Royal Ballet, The Orchestra of the Bolshoi Theatre and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, before joining the BSO. With pianists Nettle & Markham, Kevin frequently performed the chamber version of Bartok’s Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion, as well as Panufnik’s Concertino for Timpani, Percussion and Strings.

All of Kevin’s students can expect to work on the fundamentals of time and pulse whilst studying elementary to advanced rudiments, covering stick control, dexterity and independence across all orchestral percussion instruments including timpani, snare drum, drum kit and mallet instruments, as well as an in-depth study of tambourine, triangle, cymbals and bass drum, thus gaining an experienced insight in to the symphonic repertoire.

Kevin’s eclectic performance experience as an orchestral percussionist is reflected in his ‘shuffle list’: Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dave Matthews Band, Manic Street Preachers as well as great swing band drummers like Buddy Rich and Louie Bellson, and jazz legends Miles Davis, Chick Corea and Gary Burton.

CONDUCTING

Kevin has guest conducted the BBC Symphony, the Australia Chamber Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, the RTE Concert Orchestra, Orchestra of Opera North (UK), Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, West Australian Symphony, Melbourne Symphony & Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras and La Orquesta Filarmónica de Mendoza, in Argentina.

With a pedigree in ensemble development and training, Kevin has also work extensively with community and youth orchestra, including the Australian Youth Orchestra, Dorset Youth Orchestra, Young Malaysians Go Classic, Magna Sinfonia and, in 2005, founded the Malaysian Philharmonic Youth orchestra.

Kevin was Associate Conductor with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) for 15 years where he worked with world-class soloists in a variety of jazz, contemporary and mainstream popular inspired creative projects.

With the MPO, Kevin commissioned Malaysian composers, Tazul Tajjudin, Sunetra Fernando, Muriz Che Rose, Adeline Wong and Jyotsna Prakash. He has premiered over 200 international works in Malaysia by living composers; accompanied music legends Siti Nurhaliza & Sheila Majid, and formed MPO Forum for Malaysian Composers, winning many awards and accolades.

He has worked with leading international artists, among them: jazz duo Chick Corea & Gary Burton; bandonian player Daniel Binelli; violinist Leonidas Kavakos; pianist Peter Donohoe; Kodo drummer Eitetsu Hayashi & Chinese opera specialist Shu-Cheen Yu.

Kevin’s core repertoire includes the 20th century symphonic cannon and with a particular interest in contemporary music, formed ‘KOKORO’ the new music ensemble of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.

Along with seminal classical symphonic works, Kevin has also conducted the operas Madam Butterfly, Aida, Albert Herring, Carmen and Boris Godunov. His commission and production of Jocelyn Pook’s multimedia work, ‘Portraits in Absentia’ won MTV Malaysia’s Gold Award in 2002 and Kevin is planning a reimagining of the work in 2022 with his company The Culture Exchange.

With The Culture Exchange Kevin directs ‘The Conductors Circle’. Established in 2009 this studio for aspiring conductors, currently hosted at Bentley Music Academy (BMA) has successfully witnessed many students further their studies in North America and Europe.

As Director of Academic and Artistic Development at BMA, Kevin continues to train another generation of young orchestra musicians in the BMA Youth Orchestra.