Page 3 - WORTHING SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

John G ibbons and
WORTHING SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
“We
came to
your Sceptred Isle concert and it completely
blew us away. The sheer quality
and sensitivity of the orchestra was amazing. That and your fantastic conductor with his little stories and history clips.”
Christian Derben
John Gibbons’ first concert as Principal Conductor, was in September 1997. Since
then he has endeared himself to the members of the orchestra and audiences alike,
with his personality and communication skills, and has proved himself excellent at
combining well-known pieces of music with lesser known works. He has introduced rare pieces
by known and unknown composers, many of whom are British. John has a passion for British music evidenced by his work as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a trustee and Deputy Chair of the British Music Society and as a trustee of The William Alwyn Foundation. John is also Music Director of
St. Albans Chamber Choir, as well as Northampton and Ealing Symphony Orchestras.
During John Gibbons’ tenure he has raised the standard of musicianship and the quality of the music being played. The professional musicians who play with WSO come from across London and the South-East and WSO richly deserves the accolade of being the Professional Orchestra of West Sussex. WSO has now achieved the milestone of recording a live concert at Worthing Assembly Hall which was released on CD in 2018.
JULIAN LEAPER
Julian has been the leader of Worthing Symphony Orchestra for the majority of John Gibbons’ time as Principal Conductor. He was leader of the D’Oyly Carte Opera Orchestra for 13 years and in 2014 he was appointed leader of the internationally acclaimed Maggini String Quartet. Julian collects violins and has a great assortment of new and old models in his collection. He plays a Gagliano violin Naples 1735.
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