May 2009

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 with whom he recently conducted a rare production of Scott Joplin's opera Treemonisha at Sadlers Wells. He is also Musical Director of Guy's, King's and St Thomas' Hospitals Music Society, a lecturer at Morley College, London, accompanist for Concordia Voices and for Epworth Choir, Woking. In the summer of 2008 Alexander was Musical Director for Figaro Opera's production of Madame Butterfly at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge.

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.

In April 2009 Alexander took up the post of Music Director of East London Chorus, and from September 2009 he will additionally become Musical Director of Harlow Chorus. Future performances include Handel's Messiah in the Chapel of King's College Cambridge and Monteverdi's Vespers in Ely Cathedral.