Colin Metters is an English conductor, orchestral trainer and conducting pedagogue. He was Professor of Conducting at the Royal Academy of Music (London) where he founded the Conductors’ Course in 1983. He retired as Head of Studies after serving in the post for 30 years. He currently holds the title of Emeritus Professor of Conducting, RAM, London.
His early studies were with the revered George Hurst who invited him to work as his assistant at the Canford Summer School of Music. With over five decades of experience, he has mentored many of the world’s leading conductors through personal guidance and friendship. He has an unparalleled insight into conducting technique and the inspiration to truly contact with the music.
Colin left the Royal College of Music to take up the post of principal conductor at the Ballet Ramert Company, he was later appointed conductor of Sadlers Wells Royal Ballet whilst at the same time forging a burgeoning career guest conducting all over the world. He has worked with many of the major Symphony Orchestras in the UK, Europe, the USA, South America and in the Far East.
As a teacher he has given masterclasses in Germany, Russia, Poland, Switzerland, Australia, China, Portugal Venezuela, Vietnam and the USA and he is frequently invited to join the juries of prestigious international conducting competitions in Germany, Russia, the USA, Spain and Portugal.
A native of Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland, Robert Houlihan lived in Metz, France from 1981 until 2002. There he conducted at the Municipal Theatre as well as frequent guest appearances with the l’Orchestre National de Lorraine, l’Orchestre de Chambre de Metz and his own ‘Nouvel Ensemble Instrumental’. He became a French citizen in 1988.
Robert was Principal Conductor of the Tirgu Mures Philharmonic in Romania and Principal Conductor and Artistic Director of the Savaria Symphony Orchestra in Hungary. His festival appearances have included the BBC Proms and the Almeida Festival, the Budapest Spring Festival, the Bartok Festival, the Amsterdam Summer Festival and the Wurzburg Mozart Festival.
He is renowned for his dedication to new music and is frequent in demand to conduct new contemporary works. His fine relationship with many of the world’s leading soloists include Maxim Vengerov, Olivier Charlier, Javier Camarena, Rebecca Olvera, Lesley Garret, Istvan Ruha, Miklos Perenyi, Patrick Gallois, Joaquin Achucarro and John O Conor. Robert has many recordings to his name including the works of several major Irish composers.
His reputation as a teacher is legendary and he is much in demand giving masterclasses around the world including most recently classes in Ireland, the UK, France, Holland, Portugal and Hungary.
Robert returned to live in his native Ireland in 2002 where alongside his European commitments he frequently works as a guest conductor with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, the RTE Concert Orchestra and the Ulster Orchestra.
Natalia Luis-Bassa is Professor of Conducting at the Royal College of Music, Principal Guest Conductor of the Oxford University Orchestra, and Musical Director of the Jersey Symphony Orchestra. A graduate of Venezuela’s world-renowned El Sistema and the first person in her country to earn a degree in Orchestral Conducting, she later completed postgraduate studies at the Royal College of Music in London, winning the Michael Mudie Conducting Prize and the Ricordi Prize.
A passionate advocate for music education, Natalia has built enduring partnerships with the National Children’s Orchestras of Great Britain, the National Youth Orchestras of Scotland and Great Britain, the London Symphony Orchestra, and the Benedetti Foundation, alongside youth and university orchestras worldwide. She has conducted internationally with ensembles including the Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra, Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra, Bombay Chamber Orchestra, and Australian Youth Orchestra.
Her career has been shaped by mentorship with Sir Colin Davis and masterclasses with George Hurst, Lorin Maazel, and Sir Mark Elder. In recognition of her artistry, Natalia was named an Elgar Ambassador by the Elgar Society in 2007.
David Smith is an experienced, prize-winning and sought after accompanist having performed in many important venues including the Wigmore Hall and Amsterdam Concertgebouw. He has featured on BBC Radio 3 and in festivals which include Aix-en-Provence and Heidelberg partnering some of today's exceptional singers and instrumentalists.
He studied at both the Royal College and Royal Academy of Music and is now linked variously as both accompanist and coach at both of those conservatoires as well as Trinity College of Music. In addition, he works as a freelance repetiteur and pianist at amongst others, the Royal Opera House, Opera Holland Park and Dorset Opera.
Tutor biographies The George Hurst Conductors’ Course