Richard Heason

Richard Heason was born in Exeter and grew up in Cornwall.  His first musical experiences were playing in various Cornish Brass Bands and he went on to play for the Cornwall Youth Brass Band and Cornwall Youth Orchestra. As his musical interests developed he took up an interest in conducting and whilst still at school he both formed the Cornwall Sinfonietta, a classical chamber orchestra which he conducted for four years, and gained his first music theatre experience when he was appointed Musical Director of Redruth Amateur Operatic Society.

Richard left the South West to take a music degree at the University of York whilst he also studied conducting with Colin Metters in London and Peter Eötvös in Hungary. As a conductor, Richard has participated in many courses and competitions throughout Europe. In 1989 he was the youngest of 55 participants selected for the International Conductor’s Competition of Hungarian Radio and Television and in 1990 he was selected to conduct the final concert of the International Bartók Seminar, a programme of works by Ligeti performed as a live radio broadcast in the presence of the composer.

Richard has worked with orchestras and ensembles throughout Europe including the Orchestra of St. Johns, the Budapest Festival Orchestra, the Ensemble Intercontemporain, Opera Playhouse, the Ensemble Modern and the Savaria Symphony Orchestra. Soloists he has worked with have included Yuri Bashmet, David Owen Norris, Vanessa Mae, Philippe Graffin, Lana Trotovsek, Jeremy Menuhin and Raphael Wallfisch.

Richard has a keen interest in contemporary music and has worked with many leading composers to lead performances of their work including Julian Anderson, Richard Causton, György Kurtág, Steve Martland, Tristan Murail, David Bedford, John Casken, Stephen Montague and James MacMillan. He is Director of the London Sound Ensemble and the Aylesbury Festival.

Alongside his work on the concert platform Richard has a keen interest in music education and has led outreach projects throughout the UK, from Devon to the Shetland Isles. As a conductor he has worked with many Youth Orchestras and Student Orchestras including the Cornwall Youth Orchestra, The Westminster Youth Orchestra, Greenwich and Lewisham Youth Orchestra and the Edinburgh Youth Orchestra. For the past ten years he has also directed the Orchestral Workshop Course at the Dartington International Summer School where repertoire he has conducted has included Miaskovsky’s 27th Symphony, Mussorgsky’s Picture at an Exhibition, Bruckner’s Symphonies No.7 and No.8, the complete symphonies of Schumann and the reconstructions of Elgar’s Third Symphony and Piano Concerto.

Alongside his work as a conductor Richard also works in Music Education and Arts Management. He founded the education departments of both the Orchestra of St. John’s, Smith Square and the BBC Symphony Orchestra and he has worked as Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Blackheath Halls and Centre Manager of Aylesbury Civic Theatre. He has taught at the Universities of Greenwich and Chichester, Goldsmith’s College and the Royal College of Music and has delivered lectures for the BBC, Society for the Promotion of New Music, the Arts Council and the British Council.

Richard lives in Buckinghamshire and when not engaged in musical activities enjoys travelling, languages, history and skiing.