Ralph Woodward was born and educated in Durham. He spent four years as Organ Scholar at Queens’ College, Cambridge. While there, he conducted the Chapel Choir’s first two CDs and gave world premieres of numerous works. These included three pieces by Stanford, one of which he edited for publication. 

Now a freelance conductor and keyboard player, Ralph has written often on the music of Benjamin Britten, and was described by the Independent on Sunday as a ‘leading authority’ on the composer. He has a wide performing repertoire, particular specialisms being the music of Bach and Mozart, the French Baroque and Scandinavian music. 

Ralph is Musical Director of the Fairhaven Singers of Cambridge, Full Score, the Britten-Pears Chamber Choir (based at Snape Maltings) and the Northumbrian Recorder and Viol School. He has been involved in educational projects with the English Sinfonia, the BBC Singers and English National Opera, and has appeared live on Radio 3’s “In Tune”. His international work has included engagements at Harvard University, in Chicago, Tunis, Prague, Stockholm and Venice, and throughout the Gulf and Far East. He has conducted Cambridge Baroque Camerata, Cambridge Sinfonia, the Tallis Chamber Orchestra and the Brandenburg Sinfonia. He frequently contributes articles and programme notes, and carries out a wide range of editorial tasks for Oxford University Press. 

Recent projects have included work with Vladimir Ashkenazy, James Bowman, Christopher Hogwood, Emma Kirkby, Michael Chance and Stephen Layton, as well as an appearance with the Fairhaven Singers on BBC Radio 4’s Sunday Worship. Forthcoming engagements include conducting at the Aldeburgh Festival and in Paris, recording a CD with the Fairhaven Singers, directing opera workshops in London and making his first appearance with the Ely Sinfonia.

We are therefore delighted that Ralph will be working with Kerry Camden for the May 2008 Bach to Bacchus Weekend (16th-19th May 2008).

For other singing courses or links to other music courses, click on Other Music Courses.