Ulysses
Symphony
Orchestra
Biographies
Cathal Garvey | Musical Director
Cathal Garvey initially studied violin and piano at the Cork School of Music before reading Music at University College Cork. After completing his MA in Conducting, he continued his violin studies at the College of Moscow Conservatory.
In Ireland, he has conducted the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Orchestra of St Cecilia, Dublin Symphony Orchestra, Irish Sinfonia, Dublin Baroque Players, and the Royal Irish Academy of Music Wind Ensemble. From 2001 to 2006 he was Principal Conductor of the Dublin Orchestral Players and from 2004 to 2009 was Musical Director of the Dun Laoghaire Choral Society.
As well as conducting musicals in Cork and Dublin, he has worked as Chorus Master for most of Ireland’s major opera companies, including Opera Ireland, Opera Theatre Company, Anna Livia Opera Festival, Opera South and Lyric Opera, on over fifty productions.
Cathal moved to London in 2009 to take up the post of Chorus Master and Assistant Conductor with Grange Park Opera. Since then, he has conducted London International Orchestra, Covent Garden Chamber Orchestra, Southern Sinfonia, London Repertoire Orchestra, I Maestri orchestra, BYMT Staff Orchestra and London Medical Orchestra. He is Musical Director of Newbury Choral Society and Billingshurst Choral Society and also tutors in post-graduate Conducting at the Royal Academy of Music.
Iain Gibbs | Leader
Iain Gibbs began playing the violin at the age of six and went on to study with Erik Houston at the Royal College of Music, Junior Department from 2001 – 2009.
He has just completed the Masters Course at the Royal College of Music, studying with Detlef Hahn. He was awarded a place on the RCM/BBC Symphony Orchestra Orchestral Pathway 2013-2014, which has led to work with the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Whilst studying as a scholar at Trinity College of Music with John Crawford, Iain won and was Highly Commended in a number of competitions.
A keen orchestral player, Iain has led the Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra since January 2011. He has also recently led projects with Ensemble Lunaire, Marryat Players, London Beethoven Project, Orchestra Vitae, Siegfried Camerata, Portobello Orchestra and King’s Philharmonic. He has performed at venues across London, including the Barbican, Royal Festival Hall and the House of Lords and has worked in France as part of Westminster Opera Company’s Emerging Artists Programme.
Iain has toured with the John Wilson Orchestra and also worked with the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House and the Orchestra of Welsh National Opera. He recently performed with Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett at the Royal Albert Hall as part of a gala evening in support of WellChild.
Iain plays a 1928 William Hill violin, generously lent to him, and is grateful to the Headley Trust for their kind support of his musical ventures.