معرفی
Professor Simon Halsey CBE is Professor and Director of Choral Activities at the University of Birmingham, where he leads the postgraduate programme in Choral Conducting. He simultaneously serves as Chorus Director of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Chorus, Principal Guest Conductor and Choral Ambassador of Orfeó Català, Principal Guest Conductor of WDR Rundfunkchor, Conductor Laureate of Rundfunkchor Berlin, and Choral Director Emeritus of the London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus.
- BA, MA (Cantab)
- MA (Warwick)
- DUniv (Birmingham City University)
- DMus (University of Birmingham)
- DMus (University of Aberdeen)
His research and professional practice focus on elevating symphonic choral singing, fostering massed amateur participation, and training the next generation of conductors. His initiatives have transformed choral standards across Europe and inspired large-scale, interdisciplinary events in unconventional venues.
Halsey’s scholarly and artistic output is documented in the book and DVD Chorleitung: Vom Konzept zum Konzert (Schott, 2011), and in the 2022 cinema documentary Unsere Herzen – Ein Klang.
- Commander of the Order of the British Empire (2015)
- Queen’s Medal for Music (2014)
- Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (2010)
- Three Grammy Awards for recordings with Rundfunkchor Berlin
He teaches and mentors postgraduate conductors at Birmingham, delivers masterclasses at institutions such as Yale, the Royal Academy of Music, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, and the Netherlands and Berlin Radio Choirs, and has held visiting or honorary posts at universities throughout the UK and Europe.
His professional ensembles—including the CBSO Chorus, Orfeó Català, and WDR Rundfunkchor—function as living laboratories for his pedagogical and performance research, integrating cutting-edge rehearsal techniques, innovative programming, and community engagement.
