WHO WE ARE

Born and raised in London, Alex Mackinder is studying for an MMus in Orchestral Conducting at the Royal College of Music, having previously received an MA (Distinction) in Classics at Durham University, where he won the student-peer-chosen Lifetime Achievement in Music and Theatre Award. Currently studying under Toby Purser, Peter Stark and Howard Williams, he has participated in masterclasses led by Vasily Petrenko, Martyn Brabbins, Colin Metters and Rüdiger Bohn, and has received tuition and advice from other eminent conductors including Andrew Davies, Ryan Bancroft, Sakari Oramo, Timothy Burke, Adrian Brown and Ben Palmer.

Recent engagements include assisting Ryan Bancroft and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales in works by Schumann and Mahler, conducting the offstage brass in Mahler Symphony No. 1 for Antonio Pappano, and an appointment as the new Assistant Conductor of the Elgar Sinfonia of London, with forthcoming engagements including an appearance at Seaford Music Festival in 2025. Recent performances at the Royal College of Music include the world premiere of Anian Wiedner’s Violin Concerto at RCM, a showcase of Japanese classical music, and the first performance of Bax’s Christmas Eve anywhere in the world in over eight years. He is the Founder and Artistic Director of The Sirius Orchestra, an orchestra that seeks to bring students from all of London’s major music conservatoires together and provide extra-curricular music-making opportunities to assist their transition into the professional sphere. Past concerts have featured Haydn’s The Creation, Strauss’ Metamorphosen, Schumann’s Symphony No. 3 and Beamish’s Saxophone Concerto No. 2, whilst forthcoming performances next season will include Sibelius’ Symphony No. 2, Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht and Atterberg’s rarely heard Symphony No. 8.

A recipient of the prestigious Vice-Chancellor’s Music Scholarship upon entry to Durham University, Alex was appointed by his peers as Conductor of the Durham University Orchestral Society’s Symphony Orchestra for three successive seasons (2016-19). Whilst under his direction, notable concerts included taking part in The Imperial War Museum’s Somme100FILM project, Mahler’s Symphony No. 5, and a programme commemorating the centenary of Hubert Parry’s death featuring baritone Sir Thomas Allen, performed in the presence of His Majesty King Charles III (the then Prince of Wales).

Elsewhere, he has accumulated substantial experience working with amateur ensembles, including the Salomon Orchestra, Reading Symphony Orchestra, Camden Symphony Orchestra, Rehearsal Orchestra, Orpington Symphony Orchestra and Enfield Chamber Orchestra. Deeply passionate about youth music and educating young musicians, he has also been invited to lead Pigott’s Junior Music Camp for each of the last three years, workshopping Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, Sibelius’ Symphony No. 5 and Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture, and will return there next year for their 50th Anniversary.

Aside from conducting, Alex is a Bass section member of the London Symphony Chorus and has performed under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle, Francois-Xavier Roth, Kazuki Yamada, Lionel Sow and Simon Halsey. His favourite animal is the otter and will be more than happy to talk about them at length to anyone who will listen!