Biography
Robin Browning enjoys a busy conducting career in the UK and throughout Europe. He is currently music director of five orchestras – Wimbledon Symphony Orchestra, Petersfield Orchestra, Southampton University Symphony Orchestra, Essex Youth Orchestra and De Havilland Philharmonic (resident at the University of Hertfordshire). Robin has conducted the professional Chelmsford Sinfonietta since its formation in 2006, and is highly committed to training younger musicians, guest-conducting with orchestras at both Trinity College and Guildhall School of Music. Robin was recently involved in the Barbican Young Orchestra project, alongside Peter Stark & Sir Colin Davis, and gave another highly successful series of concerts with Hertfordshire Chamber Orchestra.
Since making his debut with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at London’s Barbican in 1996 (which was broadcast on Classic FM), Robin has conducted the Hallé, English Northern Philharmonia, Northern Sinfonia, Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Ensemble Intercontemporain. He took second prize in the NAYO Conducting Competition in 1994, and won the inaugural Boosey & Hawkes Award at the Edinburgh Festival the following year, conducting a widely-praised performance of Michael Torke’s Bright Blue Music.
Robin has been assistant conductor to Mark Elder with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and has assisted Benjamin Zander with the Philharmonia Orchestra in both concert hall and recording studio. He was also assistant conductor to Wayne Marshall at the Harrogate International Festival. In recent seasons Robin has given concerts in some of the world’s most famous concert halls, including Snape Maltings, London’s Cadogan Hall, the Rudolfinum in Prague, and at the Banff Centre in Canada. Robin enjoys working with a wide array of soloists, including Lynne Dawson, Guy Johnston, Aled Jones, Craig Ogden, Charles Owen, Ruth Palmer, Stephen Stirling and Raphael Wallfisch.
Robin studied at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena with Myung-Whun Chung and the legendary Russian pedagogue Ilya Musin. He subsequently studied in Italy and in the USA with Joseph Gifford. This summer he was invited to the David Oistrakh Festival in Pärnu, Estonia, for masterclasses and concerts with both Neeme Järvi and Paavo Järvi. Robin has also enjoyed periods of study and guidance from Charles Mackerras, Sian Edwards, Mark Elder, Markus Stenz and Benjamin Zander. Robin is also becoming widely sought-after as a teacher of conducting, and his highly-regarded conducting course begins its fourth year at the University of Southampton this autumn.
Future plans include the release of his first professional studio-recording this autumn on the UHArts label (of music for voice & ensemble by John Hopkins), and concert tours to China in October 2008 and Poland in July 2009. Robin makes a return to the Chelmsford Sinfonietta and Hertfordshire Chamber Orchestra, will work towards a performance of the Sibelius violin concerto with Jennifer Pike, and makes another visit later in the season to the Cadogan Hall in London.