In this video Hannah Nepilova speaks to Gregory Batsleer, founder of Festival Voices, ahead of an event in Copeland Park, Peckham on Saturday October 3rd, in which well-known Handel choruses and arias are remixed live with electronic music by DJ and producer Nico Bentley. For more information on the event, click here.
- Read: Review of Berlin Atonal | the world-renowned festival of electronic music
- Watch: Director Tom Guthrie talks about using puppets in Schubert’s song cycles
Gregory Batsleer is a choral conductor. He is Chorus Director of the RSNO and SCO choruses. As guest conductor, Gregory has worked with many of the UK’s leading orchestras and ensembles. Recent highlights include performances with the Royal Northern Sinfonia, RSNO, Hallé Orchestra, Black Dyke Band, National Youth Choir of Great Britain, Orchestra of Opera North, Manchester Camerata, SCO and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic.
From 2012 to 2017, he was Artistic Director of the National Portrait Gallery’s Choir in Residence programme, the first ever in-house music programme of any gallery or museum in the world. He has curated and devised performances for the Southbank Centre, Wilderness Festival and Latitude and collaborated with leading cultural figures across a variety of different art forms. Gregory is the co-founder and conductor of Festival Voices, a versatile ensemble dedicated to cross-art collaboration.
Batsleer began choral singing at the age of nine as a member of the Manchester Boys Choir before studying at Princeton University and the Royal College of Music. He returned to the UK in 2008 and co-founded and direct the Manchester Consort as well as taking up the role of Director of the Hallé Youth Choir. Gregory went on to direct and lead the Manchester University Chorus. He graduated from the Royal College of Music in 2012, where he undertook vocal studies.
This video is part of a series in which we interview artists putting on unusual events throughout the pandemic.