RICHARD HOWARTH
Richard Howarth has had a distinguished career as a violinist, leading and directing orchestras for over twenty years. He brings to conducting a wealth of experience and dynamism to inspire both musicians and audiences.
He is as comfortable working with elite orchestras as he is training and educating amateur and youth groups. He has conducted Manchester Camerata, the Ulster Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, the London, Scottish and Manchester Concert Orchestras and, from the violin, has directed Manchester Camerata and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.
Richard trained as a violinist at the Royal College of Music in London, Richard worked with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra and as Leader of the Ulster Orchestra before becoming Leader of Manchester Camerata.
He has been a guest leader with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, the BBC Scottish and Welsh Symphony Orchestras, the BBC Philharmonic, the Halle, Orchestra of St John's Smith Square, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, East of England Orchestra and Bournemouth Sinfonietta.
JUAN ORTUÑO
Spanish conductor Juan Ortuño is enjoying an exciting career in the UK, and has conducted the Alderley Edge Symphony Orchestra on a number of occasions. Juan started music lessons in Madrid with his parents. Both were performers in the Spanish National Radio and Television Choir. His first ambition was Astrophysics in which he obtained a Bachelors Degree. At the same time, he was studying voice, piano, and violin. He then decided to focus on a career in music and earned degrees in Orchestral and Choral conducting at the Royal Conservatory of Madrid.He was selected to take part in the young conductors' project of the Spanish Youth Orchestra (Joven Orquesta Nacional de España) and since then has continued working with them as guest conductor in concert tours.During this time he has attended several conducting master classes with Benjamin Zander, George Hurst, Martyn Brabbins, and Antoni Ros-Marbà.
After finishing his degrees in Spain, Juan was awarded a scholarship from the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs to continue further studies in the UK. He is a Masters graduate from the Royal Northern College of Music where he studied with Clark Rundell and Mark Shanahan.
STEPHEN THRELFALL
His engagements have taken him to the USA, Europe and Scandinavia, with regular visits to the Urals Philharmonic and Bach Orchestras in Yekaterinburg and the Royal Oman and Amman Symphony Orchestras.
His work with choirs has included St George’s Singers,Leeds Festival Chorus,Chester Bach Singers and Manchester Chamber Choir. He works frequently with a number of student and youth ensembles including the National Children’s Orchestra and also with the Northern Ballet and BBC Philharmonic Orchestras, the Hanover Band and frequently with the Northern Chamber Orchestra and Manchester Camerata, with whom he recently recorded a CD of orchestral works by Marcus Blunt.
XINJE YANG
From 2016-2021, she worked with many orchestras in China including: China Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra Academia China, Tianjin Symphony Orchestra. She also conducted contemporary works with chamber ensembles.
Since arriving in the UK she has conducted a wide range of RNCM orchestras and ensembles, the Manchester Camerata, the New Sinfonia, the Northern Ballet Sinfonia, Liverpool Mozart Orchestra, and Psappha. She made her debut with RNCM New Ensemble in London Wigmore Hall.
Xinjie has been assistant conductor in programmes by the BBC Philhamonic and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra , working with such conductors as John Storgårds, Domingo Hindoyan, Omer Meir Wellber, Sir Mark Elder, Elena Schwartz, Clemens Schutz, and Gemma New.
She was the music director and conductor of Settle orchestra in 2022-2025 and conductor of Birmingham Contemporary Music Group NEXT programme in 2023-2024.
Xinjie gained a master's degree in conducting at the Royal Northern College of Music.
