Ralph Woodward
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Ralph Woodward was born and educated in Durham. During his time as Organ Scholar at
Queens' College, Cambridge, he conducted the Chapel Choir's first two CDs and gave
world premieres of numerous works, as well as twentieth-century premieres of three
works by Stanford, one of which, the "Queens' Service", he edited for Stainer and
Bell.
Ralph, now a freelance musician, is conductor of the Britten-Pears Chamber Choir based at Snape Maltings in Suffolk. He has conducted in the Royal Opera House, Harvard University, Tunisia and Prague. 2001 saw him working as chorus master for the Hallé Choir, the Sinfonia Chorus and the Durham Singers in a recording of Will Todd's oratorio, St Cuthbert, in Manchester with the Hallé. He also acted as assistant producer and played the piano. Ralph has taken part in several educational projects with the English Sinfonia, worked for English National Opera and written on Benjamin Britten's music for Cambridge University Press. Recently, somewhat to his surprise, the Independent on Sunday called him a "leading authority" on the music of Benjamin Britten. Last summer he was invited to conduct the Aldeburgh Festival Savitri Choir for performances in Snape (broadcast live on Radio 3) and Newcastle. Recent projects have included playing the piano for opera performances at the Linbury Studio Theatre, Covent Garden, playing the organ in Chicago, being appointed Musical Director of the Northumbrian Recorder and Viol School and appearing with the Orchestra of St John's, Smith Square in Winchester Cathedral. He conducted Pärt's Passio in Snape Maltings on Good Friday and recently played the organ for the BBC's "Cambridge Spies" drama. |