Musical Director - Julian Collings
Julian was educated as an organ scholar at Tonbridge School in Kent, before winning an organ scholarship to Christ’s College, Cambridge in 1999, studying under Thomas Trotter and David Sanger. He is currently Director of Music at St Cyprian's Church, Clarence Gate, a post which he combines with a busy freelance performing schedule.
Photo Credit to Simon Weir
Much in demand as a choral director, he conducts numerous choirs in London including the Barnes Choir, Epsom Choral Society and Teddington Choral Society. He also works regularly with Aliqui Chamber Choir and is founding musical director of the much acclaimed Arcubus Ensemble.
As an organ recitalist he has performed extensively both in the UK and overseas as well as broadcasting for BBC radio and television. Recent recital engagements have included Portsmouth Cathedral, St Alban’s Abbey and St John’s College Cambridge in addition to concerts in the Channel Islands, France, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Holland and Estonia.
As organist with Svyati Duo, he regularly collaborates with cellist, Rebecca Hepplewhite, performing concerts in the UK, Europe, Asia and the United States of America. The duo have three critically acclaimed recordings to their name on the Regent Records label and have commissioned a number of new works by leading UK composers.
Julian also performs organ duets with Benedict Lewis-Smith as the Oxbridge Organ Duo - recent engagements have included Kristiansand Cathedral in Norway and the Victoria International Arts Festival in Gozo. Their debut recording of Stravinsky's Firebird in a transcription by Guy Bovet was released in 2018 to unanimous critical acclaim.
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Accompanist - Conal Bembridge
Conal Bembridge is a London-based pianist and musical director. He is Senior Music Tutor at ArtsEd, teaching across the BA and CertHE Musical Theatre programmes, and also serves as a Board Member and Safeguarding Lead at Awen Cultural Trust. Alongside this, he is a member of the teaching faculty at the Blackheath Conservatoire and has a busy private coaching studio.
Conal trained as a collaborative pianist at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, where he held the Piano Accompaniment Junior Fellowship. His early career was in opera, working on over forty productions with companies including Welsh National Opera and Opera Vlaanderen, and coached artists preparing roles for Glyndebourne, Opera North, English National Opera, and Scottish Opera. Following his time working on the Beauty and the Beast UK Tour, Conal shifted his focus towards musical theatre, coaching professional performers from the West End, UK, and international tours, and working as a musical director in major venues such as the Wales Millennium Centre and Birmingham Hippodrome.
Conal has worked as a visiting lecturer and external examiner at institutions including the Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp, Royal Academy of Music, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Wales Academy of Voice and Dramatic Arts, and Cardiff and Bristol universities. Additionally, he has held positions as Head of Singing at University College School, London, Head of Co-Curricular Music at Queen Elizabeth Hospital School, Bristol, and spent over a decade teaching for the Junior RWCMD and Welsh National Opera’s Community and Engagement team.