Roger Hendy - Musical Director EMG Symphony Orchestra

Roger Hendy, First class graduate in Chemistry and Mathematics from Exeter University is currently a teacher of Mathematics at Colyton Grammar School, East Devon, Devon and associate lecturer (Mathematics) at Exeter University. He has been Musical Director of EMGSO for over twenty years and as such, is the longest serving conductor the orchestra has worked with since its inception in the late sixties. Coupled with his scientific training and educational research, Roger is a viola player and is a former pupil of Keith Lovell (Dartington) and Harry Danks (BBC Symphony Orchestra). He was the founder of the Exeter University Orchestra and initiated his interest in conducting whilst at University. He became the first manager of the International Festival of Youth Orchestras (St. Morrtiz) and was the founder of the Honiton Festival (East Devon). Over many years Roger has been involved in supporting many musical initiatives with professional and amateur musicians of all ages in the region. He is currently continuing his conducting studies sponsored by EMGSO with a professional Italian conductor in London. Over the years, Roger has built up strong professional links with other musicians, composers and conductors as well as players of some of the country's leading professional orchestras, some of whom have been invited to work with EMGSO in workshops as tutors and/or soloists.

Roger has conducted over 100 concerts with EMGSO both at home and abroad for which he and the orchestra have received much critical acclaim. Working closely with the EMGSO committee, he has successfully staged a huge variety of highly acclaimed musical events. Some particular highlights include performances by EMGSO of works by Mahler (Resurrection Symphony), Bernstein, Poulenc (Gloria & Concerto for Organ and Strings), Britten, Verdi (Requiem), Respighi (Pines of Rome), Shostakovich (Symphonies 1, 5 and 10), Elgar( Enigma Variations, Violin and cello concerti), Dvorak (Cello Concerto and Symphonies 7, 8 & 9) as well as many other works particularly from the Romantic period.

Through his professional association with EMGSO, Roger has worked with such artists as Alexander Baillie, Pan Hon Lee, Hu Kun, Anthony Goldstone, Mark Bebbington, Crispian Steel Perkins, Peter Thomas, Anna Markland, Emma Johnson, David Campbell, Freddie Kempf and many others. He has also featured many of the BBC Young Musicians competitions winners as well as other up-an-coming international soloists such as Martine Desroches (Canada), Theodore Ulrich (Germany), Catherine Montier (Paris Conservatoire) and Emmanuelle Bertrand (Paris Conservatoire). Many local amateur soloists have also featured significantly in other smaller-scale concerts. Roger predicts and very bright future for EMGSO and further exciting concerts are in the planning stage.

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