Increasingly in demand as a conductor, Alexander Turner has gained a reputation for his choir-training skills, dynamic programming and community engagement. He is currently Director of Music at All Saints’ Church, Putney as well as Musical Director of Stanmore Choral Society, Richmond Chamber Choir, and was formerly the conducting scholar at Westminster Cathedral. As a freelance conductor, recent work has included chorus-mastering RSVP Voices for a concert with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in Westminster Hall.
Recent highlights have been conducting Britten’s Saint Nicolas, Duruflé’s Requiem and large scale works by Jonathan Dove, Bach and Handel, including some of the latter’s Chandos Anthems in the church in which they were premiered. Alex is an advocate for and interpreter of early music and is currently directing a project of premiere recordings of medieval works. Equally at home with new music, he has premiered works by Emma Pascoe, and commissioned music by Lizzy Hardy and Anna Semple. Using his wealth of experience of singing and directing choirs, Alex has had his choral compositions performed across the UK and has been commissioned by parish church to cathedral choirs.
Alex’s musical journey began as a chorister at Southwell Minster, followed by membership of the choirs of Norwich Cathedral, Royal Holloway and New College, Oxford. With New College he appeared as a soloist at Wigmore Hall in a performance of Purcell & Blow. He has performed across the UK as a soloist in Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s Passions and Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, as well as internationally with professional choirs including the Sixteen, Sestina and Siglo de Oro, and continues to sing with the choirs of St Paul’s and Westminster cathedrals and Westminster Abbey.
Alex holds a prize-winning first-class degree from Royal Holloway, University of London, where he held a choral scholarship, and began conducting in earnest. He has also recently completed a Master’s degree in Choral Conducting at the Royal Academy of Music under the tutelage of Patrick Russill and Nic Chalmers. He has conducted the BBC Singers in masterclasses, and enjoyed tuition from Sofi Jeannin, David Hill and Roland Börger. He was generously supported by the Academy, the Royal College of Organists, and the Incorporated Association of Organists.
