John Wilson Announced as Principal Conductor Designate of RT CO
RT today announced John Wilson as Principal Conductor Designate of the RT Concert Orchestra.
One of the most exciting conductors and arrangers on the scene, Wilson has been the RT CO's Principal Guest Conductor since 2009. He will succeed David Brophy as RT CO Principal Conductor in January 2014.
Born in Gateshead on Tyneside in 1972, Wilson studied composition and conducting at the Royal College of Music, where he won all the major conducting prizes and the coveted Tagore Gold Medal for the most outstanding student. He has since established an enviable reputation as a conductor, arranger and scholar, and is recognised internationally as an expert in the fields of light music, jazz and music for screen.
He arranged and conducted the music for Kevin Spacey's film Beyond the Sea, orchestrated and conducted several of Paul McCartney's compositions with the London Symphony Orchestra, and his arrangements and orchestrations have been played by the Chicago Symphony, Boston Pops and Cleveland orchestras.
As well as his role as Principal Guest Conductor of the RT Concert Orchestra, Wilson is Principal Conductor of the Northern Sinfonia and also works regularly with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, the CBSO, the Philharmonia and the BBC orchestras.
His performances with his own John Wilson Orchestra, a handpicked collection of leading players from orchestras across the UK and Ireland, have introduced him to the widest audiences with their immensely popular televised appearances at the BBC Proms. His 2009 Prom celebrating 75 years of MGM musicals was a sensation. Televised live on BBC Two and watched by 3.5 million viewers, it generated so much public demand that it was repeated three times, released on DVD and led directly to an exclusive recording contract with his eponymous orchestra on EMI (now Warner Music Group). Since then, the annual visit of the John Wilson Orchestra has become one of the hottest tickets of the BBC Proms, with Hollywood Rhapsody the most recent to sell out the Royal Albert Hall in August.
Wilson's dedication to this repertoire is evidenced by his painstaking, bar-by-bar reconstruction of lost' orchestral scores of MGM musicals. Engaged by MGM to reconstruct the orchestrations of all their major musicals, including High Society and Singin' in the Rain, he gave the first European performances of the restored score of The Wizard of Oz synchronised with the film. Irish audiences have seen him conduct the RT CO in a series of highly successful Wizard of Oz screenings, as well as in screenings of classic song-and-dance routines, Gotta Dance!
Another hugely popular strand of his Dublin appearances has focused on the great musicals of stage and screen, performed in their original arrangements and featuring internationally renowned guest vocalists such as Kim Criswell, Anna-Jane Casey, Rodney Earl Clarke, Matt Ford, Annalene Beechey, Elizabeth Llewellyn, Julian Ovenden and Clare Teal.
Other highlights of John Wilson's four years as RT CO Principal Guest Conductor give an indication of his range: La Sheridan A Gala Operatic Tribute to Margaret Burke Sheridan with Orla Boylan, Anne Marie Gibbons and Alfie Boe (April 2009), The John Lennon Songbook with Mark McGann, Curtis Stigers and Claire Martin (August 2009), The Great American Songbook with Richard Rodney Bennett and Claire Martin (May 2010), My Fair Lady with Anthony Andrews (August 2010), A Gilbert & Sullivan Extravaganza with Richard Suart and Sarah Fox (October 2011), an evening of American classics featuring Gershwin's Piano Concerto with Artur Pizarro (February 2012), and a Spanish-themed night Bol ro featuring Morgan Szymanski in Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez (April 2013).
This evening, 5 September, he conducts the RT CO in Essential Classics, followed by Essential Opera on Thursday 19 September, and in October he returns for two concert performances of South Pacific, all taking place at the National Concert Hall.
Aod n Dubhghaill, Interim Executive Director, RT Orchestras, Quartet & Choirs, commented: A versatile and progressive group of musicians like the RT Concert Orchestra needs a conductor who is adaptable, communicative, unifying and clear, so that he can shape and express the sound of the ensemble. I have had the privilege of watching John working with the RT Concert Orchestra in recent times and of hearing him conduct his own orchestra during BBC Proms concerts a couple of years ago. His enthusiasm is infectious for musicians and audience alike. I welcome John to the role of Principal Conductor and look forward to hearing him bring that enthusiasm to Irish audiences through our many platforms on RT .'
Anthony Long, General Manager of the RT Concert Orchestra, welcomed the appointment, saying: The appointment of John Wilson as Principal Conductor to the RT Concert Orchestra is another milestone in the orchestras evolution as the countrys premier provider of high-quality popular orchestral music. It is a real coup for RT and underscores our commitment to the arts in Ireland. John is rare among conductors in valuing good music equally whether it is Mozart or Mancini, making him a perfect fit for the RTE Concert Orchestra. I look forward to working closely with him to deliver the best music in the best performances at the best value, in the true spirit of public service of which RT is rightly proud.
John Wilson commented: I am thrilled to be appointed as Principal Conductor of the RT Concert Orchestra. I have tremendous respect and admiration for this incredibly versatile and accomplished group of musicians.'
The precision, passionate musicianship and pure verve that John Wilson brings to all genres of music matches the RT CO's own commitment to achieving the highe
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
When Canada qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026, OneSoccer knew this wasn'...
04/07/2026
Celebrates company's 80th anniversary
Rhodes have recently revealed that they will be producing a limited run of electric pianos in celebration of their...
04/07/2026
Blackmagic Design Cameras Empower Youth Broadcasting Program
Brie Clayton July 3, 2026
0 Comments
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro and Blackmagi...
04/07/2026
iZotope Joins Boris FX
Boris Yamnitsky July 3, 2026
0 Comments
iZotope, the team behind RX and Ozone, is joining Boris FX. A letter from founder Boris...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
03/07/2026
New bundle & three Single Packs
Continuing to expand their already sizeable orchestral collection, VSL's latest release introduces three new Single Pack...
03/07/2026
Venue installs new ATC-equipped control room
LSO St Luke's, a unique music venue that also serves as the home of the London Symphony Orchestra, have rec...
03/07/2026
Caden Pearson appointed new Commissioning Editor for NITV
3 July, 2026
Media releases
National Indigenous Television (NITV) has strengthened its commitment...
03/07/2026
1 February 2023
SHARE Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email
Munich, Germany, 1st February 2023: Cinegy GmbH, the premier provider of software technology for digit...
03/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/07/2026
Death Star
Andy Marken July 2, 2026
0 Comments
Look, I can't get involved. I've got work to do. It's not that I like the Empire; I hate i...
03/07/2026
Berklee's New Visual Identity: Honoring Our History, Building for What's...
03/07/2026
Scripps Research scientists awarded $2M to advance global disease surveillance Two Gates Foundation grants will expand wastewater surveillance and AI-driven dis...
03/07/2026
Joan Pulupa joins Scripps Research faculty to study the organization of DNA in brain cells and its links to neurodegeneration Using smell-sensing neurons and ad...
02/07/2026
Entering her senior year, this hometown girl is paving a career in live sports production gaining experience in replay and audio and as a TD
In the live-sports...
02/07/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...
02/07/2026
BLAST, a competitive entertainment company focused on esports, has announced more than $133 million in revenue for 2025, representing more than 40% year-over-ye...
02/07/2026
Riedel Communications has announced official SKAARHOJ panel support for SimplyLive production workflows, enabled through the SimplyLive 2.1 release. The integra...
02/07/2026
The Fire Rescue Service of the Czech Republic has deployed LiveU video-over-bond...
02/07/2026
Gravity Media USA has announced the appointment of Brittney Boston as Head of Business Development, effective July 1, 2026. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Bosto...
02/07/2026
TwelveLabs, a video intelligence company, has announced $100 million in Series B funding co-led by NEA and NAVER Ventures, with participation from Amazon, Radic...
02/07/2026
The Pro Padel League (PPL) has announced a broadcast partnership with USA Sports that will air five PPL championship matches on CNBC during the 2026 season, the...
02/07/2026
LiveLike, a digital fan engagement platform, has announced eight confirmed FIFA ...
02/07/2026
Cobalt Digital has received Future's Best of Show Award, presented by AV Technology at InfoComm 2026, for its blueCORE family of standalone signal processor...
02/07/2026
Synamedia has announced the appointment of Dr. Tzvi Gerstl as Chief Executive Officer. Paul Segre, who has served as CEO for the past six years, will transition...
02/07/2026
The Esports Foundation (EF) and Sony Group Corporation have announced an expanded collaboration for the Esports World Cup 2026 (EWC), taking place in Paris, Fra...
02/07/2026
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. ( Z') has announced exclusive broadcast and digital rights for the Bundesliga in India for five years, beginning with the...
02/07/2026
An effort uniting News, Sports, Local, and Telemundo, the 50+-camera live produc...
02/07/2026
Zoey Deutch, John Slattery, Ken Marino, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, and Ben Wang appe...
02/07/2026
Stammering, stuttering, strangulated tones
The Crow Hill Company's latest creation promises to be the most original sound set they've produced to d...
02/07/2026
A new era in unmixing and spectral editing
The latest version of Steinberg's spectral audio-editing software has just arrived, building on the strength...
02/07/2026
Aims to simplify additive synthesis
Sine Machine is the debut launch from Melatonin, a Vienna-based developer who have spent the past six years creating wha...
02/07/2026
Products to remain fully active & supported
Following the news of Native Instruments joining the inMusic brand line-up, Academy and Emmy Award-winning visua...
02/07/2026
What you missed!
Last weekend, Saturday 27 June 2026, saw the debut of Sound On Sounds new GearExpo UK event, the largest dedicated pro-audio event to take ...
02/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/07/2026
Following the successful launch of its inaugural APAC Mentoring Programme last month, the Rise AV APAC Regional Council will bring the conversation around mento...
02/07/2026
Blackmagic PYXIS 6K Used to Shoot Director Takahisa Zeze's Cry Out
Brie Clayton July 2, 2026
0 Comments
Highly mobile camera supports tense and de...
02/07/2026
Broadcast Solutions acquires BFE, expanding its lead in European broadcast, medi...
02/07/2026
Berklee Alum and Faculty Perform at Boston Public Library's 250th Anniversar...
02/07/2026
Broadcast Solutions GmbH, a leading systems integrator and provider of innovative solutions for the broadcast media industry, is acquiring BFE Studio und Medien...
02/07/2026
Cinegy GmbH, the premier provider of software-defined television technology, has extended the ingest facility at leading Brazilian sports company LiveMode, work...
02/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/07/2026
Standalone processors acknowledged for the innovation and value they bring to Pro AV
Cobalt Digital, a leading designer and manufacturer of signal processing ...
02/07/2026
Synamedia announced today the appointment of Dr Tzvi Gerstl as Chief Executive Officer. Paul Segre, who has served as CEO for the past six years, will transitio...
John Wilson Announced as Principal Conductor Designate of RT CO 
