Peterborough Opera

In May 2010, Marc moved  to the UK to take up the part-time post of Director of Music at St Botolph’s Church (Boston Stump) in Lincolnshire and followed this up in January this year by adding Peterborough Opera to his portfolio. As our new Musical Director, he has the chance to ‘get back’ into opera which has been a great love all his musical life. He says he thrives on working with singers and instrumentalists.

He said “Having worked with singers of all levels for most of my career, I feel that I have a good ability to encourage the beginner as well as the established international performer.” Marc will be acting as coach and repetiteur, and co-operating with the producer and stage team in all the complexities of staging an opera, from the choice of a work, to the drawing board with director, light and sometimes sound technicians, stage managers, wardrobe, finding the right soloist, and also working within a budget.

He has been a free-lance musician for many years, as well as soloist, accompanist, adjudicator and educationalist, choral trainer and conductor

Starting singing as  tenor (but now definitely a high baritone) in the Philharmonia Choir of Cape Town, he toured England in 2001 and also formed his own chamber choir, The Magnificats. His work in South Africa has been extensive, including involvement in performances with Yehudi Menuhin, Seiji Osawa (the Winter Olympics), the LPO, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Sir David Willcocks and Pavarotti’s South African Tour. From time to time he also sang in the ad hoc chorus for Cape Town Opera’s productions, most notably Peter Grimes.

He was Assistant and Acting Chorus Master of Cape Town Opera (CTO) and also taught the Choral Training Programme, a programme established to develop talented but disadvantaged young singers in the nearby townships. He prepared the chorus for the 2006 best selling CD of Opera Choruses by Cape Town Opera.

One of his dearest aims is to attract the next generations of music and opera lovers. We have very much enjoyed working with him in 2011, and are pleased to announce that he has agreed to remain as Musical Director for another year, during which we hope to continue to spread awareness of all that Peterborough Opera has to offer.

Marc Murray