June 2008

Alexander Chaplin     Musical Director

Alexander Chaplin was a chorister at Canterbury Cathedral and held the organ scholarships at Lincoln Cathedral and Lincoln College, Oxford, where he read Music. Alexander studied conducting and organ at the Royal College of Music under Neil Thomson, Edwin Roxburgh and Nicholas Danby; he participated in masterclasses with George Hurst, Paul Goodwin and Sir Peter Maxwell-Davies.

He graduated from the RCM with distinction and as a major prize-winner. Alexander is in huge demand as a conductor and accompanist; in addition to his work with Wokingham Choral Society he is currently Musical Director of Vision Opera and of Guy's, King's and St Thomas' Hospitals Music Society; he is a lecturer at Morley College, London, accompanist for Concordia Voices and for Epworth Choir, Woking.

He recently conducted a rare production of Scott Joplin's opera Treemonisha at Sadlers Wells and this is planned to tour to the Edinburgh Festival in 2008. In addition to his busy schedule as a musician Alexander has recently completed a Masters degree in theology from London University.

In February 2008 Alexander was invited to participate in a competitive masterclass in St Petersburg with Alexander Polishchuk, from which he emerged as one of the prizewinning conductors. Future plans include performances of Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana with Vision Opera this summer.