Alice Farnham is a British conductor. She has worked with the Welsh National Opera,[1] English National Ballet, and the Royal Opera House, among other musical institutions. Farnham studied at the Faculty of Music, Oxford University[2]. She studied with the Russian conductor Ilya Musin.[3] for 3 years at the St Petersburg State Conservatoire from 1997-2000[4].
Career
editFarnham has led performances for prestigious orchestras and institutions. Alice enjoys an active opera and symphonic conducting career worldwide. Guest conducting includes the BBC Concert Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, Jönköping Sinfonietta, Royal National Symphony Orchestra of Scotland, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Opéra de Rouen Normandie, Malmö Opera, Mariinsky Theatre, Calgary Opara, Folkoperan Stockholm, Longborough Festival Opera, and Wermlands Opera[5]
She has been a Guest Conductor with many ballet companies including the Royal Ballet Covent Garden, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Danish Royal Ballet, English National Ballet, Rambert Dance Company, Skåna Dansteater, and Ballet Preljocaj[6].
Other recent engagements include the Malmö Opera Orchestra, Dalasinfonietta, Gävle Symphony Orchestra, Nordiska Kammarorkester, Malta Philharmonic, Sinfonia Viva, and Southbank Sinfonia. [7][8].
Farnham co-founded the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Women Conductors Programme in 2013 to address the gender imbalance in conducting. [3][9][10]
In 2023, Farnham published In Good Hands which was published by Faber & Faber in January 2023, and in paperback in April 2024.[11] She also speaks at international conferences, promoting greater inclusion for women in the field.[12][13]
Alice was Organ Scholar at St. Hugh's Oxford University and Organ Fellow at St. Thomas’ Church Fifth Avenue, New York[14].
Recognition
editCritics [15][16]praise Farnham for her precise and emotive conducting style, particularly in ballet and opera. Her performances have been described as crisply defined[17] by Opera Today, drawing commendations for her ability to balance orchestral complexity.[18]
Awards
editIn 2024, Alice Farnham was shortlisted for the prestigious Royal Philharmonic Society Conductors Award[19]
In recent years, initiatives like RPS Women Conductors, founded by Alice Farnham, have been developed to address gender imbalances in musical leadership. Farnham's course encourages women to pursue conducting, fostering female talent and leadership in classical music. Her advocacy and efforts have garnered recognition within the classical music community, highlighting her dedication to promoting diversity and opportunities for women in the field. This work has contributed to her standing as a significant figure in advancing gender equity in conducting.[20][13][21]
Discography
editIn September 2024, NMC released Discovering Imogen, an album dedicated to the music of Imogen Holst. The collection features performances by the BBC Concert Orchestra and BBC Singers under the direction of Alice Farnham[22]. The album includes notable works such as Overture Persephone (1929), the Suite in F (1927), and the Suite for String Orchestra (1943), the latter being the only piece to have previously been performed professionally. Other compositions include What Man is He? from the 1940s, the Festival Anthem (1946), arranged by Colin Matthews, and On Westhall Hill, which rounds out the selection.
This album highlights the rich and varied output of Holst, showcasing pieces from different periods of her career[23].
References
edit- ^ Ltd, Supercool (October 12, 2024). "Alice Farnham". WNO.
- ^ "In Good Hands: The Making of a Modern Conductor". University of Oxford.
- ^ a b "Alice Farnham Official Website". Retrieved 2024-10-12.
- ^ https://www.music.ox.ac.uk/article/in-good-hands-the-making-of-a-modern-conductor
- ^ https://wno.org.uk/profile/alice-farnham
- ^ https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/44vqrJyxXSvsJGJ69sLvD51/alice-farnham
- ^ https://www.gsmd.ac.uk/about-guildhall/news/alice-farnham-makes-her-guildhall-school-debut-conducting-haydns-rarely
- ^ https://kulturhusetspira.se/medverkande/alice-farnham/
- ^ "Alice Farnham Masterclass". Elder Conservatorium of Music | University of Adelaide. Retrieved 2024-10-12.
- ^ "Hancock Artists - Engagements". Retrieved 2024-10-12.
- ^ "In Good Hands". World of Books.
- ^ "Alice Farnham | Biography & Books". Faber.
- ^ a b "Hancock Artists Bio". Retrieved 2024-10-12.
- ^ https://alicefarnham.com/pages/about
- ^ https://alicefarnham.com/blog/reviews-longobrough-festival-opera-l-elisir-d-amore
- ^ https://operatoday.com/2024/08/longborough-festivals-la-boheme-doesnt-fail-to-tug-at-the-heartstrings/
- ^ https://alicefarnham.com/blog/reviews-royal-academy-of-music-le-nozze-di-figaro
- ^ "Hancock Artists - Reviews". Retrieved 2024-10-12.
- ^ https://royalphilharmonicsociety.org.uk/awards/rps_music_awards/shortlist-categories/shortlist-conductor
- ^ https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/2F0yfqDQn9qX8WTNTf8sHkN/do-you-have-what-it-takes-to-be-a-conductor
- ^ "Conductor: Shortlist". Royal Philharmonic Society.
- ^ https://nmc-recordings.myshopify.com/collections/new-releases-2024/products/imogen-holst-discovering-imogen
- ^ https://www.fabermusic.com/news/discovering-imogen-released-on-nmc02102024