British-Japanese conductor, Theo Vinden, is excited to be conducting the Camerata orchestra of NYSO this Easter! Theo also works as NYSO's Residency & Music Assistant, providing fantastic support to the whole team during the residencies.
Currently based in London, he is head conductor of the Keele University Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir; conductor of the Senior Strings of the North London Conservatoire; guest conductor of the Grim’s Dyke Opera (formerly the D’Oyly Opera company) and assistant professor of conducting at the London Performing Academy of Music.
Theo is looking forward to conducting and coaching in the British Opera Academy later this year, and the ‘Music in the Marche’ Opera programme in Italy.
He was formerly conducting Fellow of the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra (in West Texas, U.S.), interim director of orchestra at the University of Texas Permian Basin, and completed his doctoral studies in orchestral and operatic conducting at Texas Tech University.
During his time in the U.S., he assisted conductors such as Imre Palló and Benjamin Zander; additionally, he conducted on stage with Jill Grove (mezzo-soprano of the Metropolitan Opera). He was head conductor of the TTU Matador Opera Workshop (performing Mozart’s Da Ponte operas) and conducting professor on the West Texas Kodály Initiative.
Prior to going to the U.S., he was director of the chamber choir at the Kodály Institute of the Liszt Academy, Hungary (as well as conducting many other choirs across Hungary), and also completed his Masters degree in Kodály pedagogy and choral conducting. Whilst in Hungary, he conducted in important ceremonies commemorating Kodály’s birth and death anniversaries in the 2017-18 season – performing most of Kodály’s choruses. This followed his studies in Russia (St. Petersburg Conservatory) and the U.K. (Royal Northern College of Music and University of Manchester Joint Course, cello).
Theo, with his rich background in Kodály pedagogy, is passionate about education work. He formerly coached the Intermediate Choir of the North London Conservatoire, the West Texas Children’s Chorus, Pro Corda and the English School’s Symphony Orchestra. He also performed at the Royal Festival Hall with musicians from the Philharmonia Orchestra, in an education project involving London youth music hubs.
As cellist, Theo has appeared as soloist with the BBC Concert Orchestra and done freelance work with many professional orchestras in the U.K. and U.S., including Opera North, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and the Texarkana Symphony Orchestra.