Since April 2001 Simon Halsey has presided over the affairs of the Rundfunkchor Berlin. The enterprising Briton was born in London in 1958 the son of a famous chorusmaster and a singer. He attended a number of venerable English choral training institutions (New College, Oxford; King’s College, Cambridge) and, following a brief period of conducting studies at the Royal College of Music in London and a period of assistant conductorship at the Royal Scottish Opera in Glasgow, he was named music director of the University of Warwick at the age of 22.
His wide-ranging activities caught the attention of Simon Rattle who spontaneously invited him to assume the direction of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Chorus. In 21 years of invariably close and friendly cooperation, the two musicians launched countless projects.
In Birmingham alone Halsey founded three more choirs for various age groups and levels of excellence as well as the City of Birmingham Touring Opera (together with Graham Vick) and played a prominent role in youth-oriented and educational activities. In June 200 the University of Central England in Birmingham conferred on him an honorary doctorate in recognition of his services to the city’s musical life.
In addition, Halsey coached and directed choral groups across the world. From 1989 to 1994 he was artistic director of the Salisbury Festival, and he subsequently directed the chorus of the Vlaamse Opera in Antwerp and guest-conducted the Netherlands Radio Choir in Hilversum and many other choral groups.
He has formed especially close partnerships with Sir Simon Rattle, Kent Nagano, Marek Janowski, Edo de Waart, Riccardo Chailly and Sakari Oramo. Apart from the Rundfunkchor Berlin, Simon Halsey directs the Radio Choir in Hilversum, various ensembles in Birmingham and European Voices, a project-oriented professional choir based in London.
