RSNO Chorus Director to leave at end of Season
Timothy Dean will direct the Chorus until the end of the 2013:14 Season, concluding his tenure with performances of Mahler’s Symphony No 8
Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO) Chorus Director Timothy Dean will leave his post at the end of the current Season, concluding his tenure with performances of Mahler’s Eighth Symphony in Edinburgh and Glasgow and joining an RSNO Chorus trip to Prague in June.
Timothy was appointed to the position of Chorus Director in November 2006 and, over his eight years at the helm of Scotland’s national orchestra’s Chorus, has worked in partnership with former Music Director Stéphane Denève and current Music Director Peter Oundjian to present some memorable programmes, including performances of Magnus Lindberg’s Graffiti in 2010, John Adams’ On the Transmigration of Souls in 2011, Britten’s War Requiem on the 100th anniversary of the composer’s birth, and prepared the Chorus for what one music critic thought was the best performance of Handel’s Messiah they had ever heard, earlier this year.
Timothy, also currently Head of Opera at the Royal Conservatoire Scotland (RCS), has recently taken over the responsibility for the Leverhulme Conducting Fellows, a new development for the RCS. Over the last twelve months he has been increasingly in demand abroad, working on projects in New Zealand, Hong Kong and Nuremberg. In future Timothy plans to work abroad more, as well devoting more time to pursuing his own creative projects and performing career.
RSNO Chorus Director Timothy Dean: “It has been a privilege to be part of the RSNO family for the last eight years, and to have been able to contribute to a number of truly memorable performances. I will miss working regularly with the RSNO Chorus – their commitment, their sense of fun, their sound and, above all, their Glaswegian warmth and spirit. However, it is the right time for me to move on and I wish them continued success in their new home.”
RSNO Music Director Peter Oundjian: “Tim is a joy to work with and I have valued his musicality, knowledge and experience. He is capable of getting the best out of our accomplished Chorus and we shall all miss him. Our final project together, Mahler’s Eighth Symphony, promises to be exceptionally poignant.”
Chief Executive of the RSNO, Michael Elliott: “I’m grateful to Tim for all he has achieved with the RSNO Chorus and I have to thank him for agreeing to stay with us until the end of the current Season. He should be proud of his accomplishments during his eight-year tenure as Chorus Director, and he leaves a legacy of a highly professional body of singers. All of us at the RSNO wish him every success for the future.”
The RSNO will commence its search for a successor shortly, aiming to make an appointment before the move into its new home later this year.
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