James Lowe

Conductor

Prizewinner in international conducting competitions, James Lowe is Chief Conductor of the Vaasa City Orchestra, Finland. His work as Artistic Director of the Hallé Harmony Youth Orchestra was featured in a four-part documentary shown in the UK on Channel 4 in 2010.

A recipient of the Bernard Haitink Fund for Young Talent, Lowe is Principal Conductor of the Edinburgh Contemporary Music Ensemble, Principal Guest Conductor of Music for Everyone, Orchestras Advisor and conductor of the Senior Orchestra of the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland and held the positions of Chief Conductor with the Preußisches Kammerorchester and Associate Conductor of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

Educated at the University of Edinburgh, Lowe continued his development as Benjamin Zander Conducting Fellow with the Boston Philharmonic, and has studied with leading conductors in master classes, including Jorma Panula, Neeme Järvi, Bernard Haitink and with Valery Gergiev and the London Symphony Orchestra. He has worked as Assistant Conductor to Haitink in performances with the Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam and has appeared in performance with many others.

He is currently a Music Director finalist for the Spokane Symphony in the USA. In addition to his conducting work James is active as an educator, teacher of conducting and is undertaking research exploring ways in which orchestras can meaningfully engage with a greater public.