Musical Director: Tim Pithers
Tim began conducting in his teens and went on to read Music and French at the University of Exeter. He studied violin with Mary Eade, composition with Joe Duddell and specialised in musical direction with Ian Mitchell. Subsequent to his graduation with a double first-class degree, he has conducted a wide variety of vocal and instrumental ensembles.
Tim particularly enjoys working with ensembles of varying degrees of experience and is a firm believer that classical music should be made as accessible as possible to both performers and the wider audience. In addition to the Dartmouth Orchestra, Tim is currently Musical Director of the Exeter University Symphony Orchestra , Dunsford Singers, Chagford Singers, Orchestra+ (the South West’s first LGBT symphony orchestra) and EX4 Chamber Orchestra, which he founded in August 2015. Tim was recently invited to guest conduct the Mid-Somerset Orchestra for the first half of its 2017-18 season.
Recent podium highlights have included performances of Chopin’s 2nd Piano Concerto with Hannah Mitchell, with whom he studied at Exeter, Brahms’ 2nd Symphony, Elgar’s Cello Concerto with Amye Farrell, Schubert’s Mass in G and Beethoven’s iconic 5th Symphony.
Leader: Brenda Willoughby
Brenda won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music when she was sixteen. She studied with David Martin and Frederick Grinke and won several prizes. When living in Hertfordshire she combined playing and teaching with bringing up three children. For many years she was leader of the St Albans’ Chamber Orchestra and the Cambridge Symphonia. She moved to Devon in 1987 and combined teaching and an active playing career, playing with the Ten Tors Orchestra, Divertimento, The Pressenda Ensemble and Truro Three Spires.
Chair: Jessica Heywood