CLIVE FAIRBAIRN has been Principal Conductor and Artistic Director of the new mozart orchestra since its inception in 1977. This was early in a career which has since led to guest appearances with most of London's major orchestras (London Symphony, London Philharmonic, Philharmonia), performances in many other countries, also conducting opera and choral music, and five years as Principal Conductor of South Africa's first multicultural arts organisation of the post-apartheid era - the National Chamber Orchestra of South Africa.

Success for both the nmo and its conductor was ensured by the support and encouragement of some of Britain's finest orchestral principal players, with acclaim in the London press for their quality of ensemble, expression and style. It was this success which led to engagements and broadcasts with the Wren Orchestra and to his 1983 debut with the LSO (also broadcast), to a capacity audience at the Royal Festival Hall.

The Directors of the Royal Academy of Music recognised Clive Fairbairn's achievements in 1990 with the award of an honorary Associateship, this in part for his formation of Central Festival Opera in Northamptonshire, a company designed to combine young professional principals with a locally drawn chorus and production team.

Clive Fairbairn has conducted orchestras, choirs and opera in Germany, Spain, Malaysia, Turkey and France; in 2004 he performed Mendelssohn's Elijah in Leverkussen with the Gürzenich Orchestra of Cologne. Large scale British performances in the cathedrals of Guildford (Berlioz Grande Messe des Morts with Guildford Philharmonic) and St Albans (Tippett's Child of Our Time with the St Cecilia Society) featured in 2005 and 2006.

Clive Fairbairn has always maintained a strong connection with music education, conducting for example several youth orchestras including significant appointments with those in Cambridgeshire and London. He has in recent years been deeply involved with the work of bringing live professional orchestral music to children in schools across the country, conducting the nmo in over 150 such performances.

For enquiries about Clive Fairbairn's availability contact the nmo trust: nmotrust@aol.com

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