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Michael Newnham
Michael Newnham is best known for his intense and inspiring
conducting style, based on a deep knowledge of the score and
informed by a strong interest in languages, cultures and history.
A born communicator, his open and direct contact with musicians
and audiences creates performances full of expression and
energy.
Mr. Newnham has conducted many orchestras and opera companies
througout Poland, Slovakia, Italy, South Korea, as well as
his native Canada. He will return to Poland in March 2012,
his first trip since residing there, to conduct the Sudecka
Philharmonic Orchestra.
Michael was appointed Music Director of Symphony New Brunswick
in 2009, where he conducted the first-ever performance in
that province of the music of Gustav Mahler, and has been
instrumental in raising the national profile of the orchestra.
Michael has been Music Director of the Northumberland Orchestra
and Choir since 2007, and, since 2004, has been on the faculty
as conductor and coach for Music at Port Milford, an intensive
four-week summer chamber music program for gifted string players.
As of 2001, Mr. Newnham has been the Music Director of the
Peterborough Symphony Orchestra. Under his tenure, the artistic
level, number of concerts, and the community profile of the
PSO have risen dramatically.
Born in Hamilton, Canada, Michael's early training was on
piano and trombone. He was a member of the National Youth
Orchestra of Canada, and, while a student at the Indiana University
School of Music, was also active as a jazz and studio musician,
touring the the midwestern United States with the "Lettermen".
It was a chance encounter at Indiana University with Leonard
Bernstein, however, that inspired him to pursue his interest
in conducting. While playing with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony
and Toronto Symphony Orchestras, he became an Apprentice Conductor
with the Royal Conservatory Orchestra in Toronto, where his
mentors included Franco Mannino, Raffi Armenian, Agnes Grossmann,
Victor Feldbrill, Uri Mayer, Victor Yampolsky and Boris Brott.
A deep love of Polish language, music and culture led him
to complete his Master's Degree in Orchestral and Operatic
Conducting at the Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw, under
Professor Boguslaw Madey. While a student, Mr. Newnham joined
the conducting staff of the Warsaw Chamber Opera, where he
gained critical recognition for his performances of operas
by Mozart, Rossini and Cimarosa. His work with the Warsaw
Chamber Opera led him to studies with Georg Tintner, and to
a special engagement from the East Slovakian State Opera to
conduct Verdi's "Aïda". Michael has also worked
with the Kiev Classical Ballet Theatre and Montréal's
Ballet d'Ouest.
Mr. Newnham's strong connection to Poland feeds his interest
in the music of Szymanowski, Lutoslawski, Karlowicz, Moniuszko,
Górecki, and other Polish romantic and contemporary
composers, as well as Russian and Czech masters. His musical
interests are wide, ranging from Monteverdi, Bach and Handel
through Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Brahms,
Tchaikovsky and Mahler, to Bartók, Stravinsky, Prokofiev
and Shostakovich. Michael has also been very active in presenting
new works of Canadian composers to audiences at home and abroad.
He conducted an acclaimed production of R. Murray Schafer's
"Patria: The Enchanted Forest" in 2005.
In Toronto, Michael conducted several concerts marking the
milestones of Pope John Paul II: the 25th anniversary of his
Papacy in 2003 at the Air Canada Centre, a memorial concert
two years later, plus an event honouring the Pope's beatification
in May 2011, both at Roy Thomson Hall.
Mr. Newnham has been the recipient of awards and honours,
including the "Best Operatic Conductor" award from
the East Slovakian State Opera and the "Order of Merit"
from the Republic of Poland. Mr. Newnham was also presented
in 2005 with the Turzanski Foundation Award for his services
in promoting Polish music and culture in Canada. He has been
an Music Advisor to the Ontario Arts Council. Michael has
also expanded his horizons to Asia: on invitation from the
Taegu-Hyosung University in South Korea, he spent two years
(1996-1998) at that institution.
Offstage, Michael likes to cycle and cross-country ski. He
is a great enthusiast of the world of brewing the perfect
espresso, fervently hoping to be able to consistently get
it right some day.
Michael is bilingual in English and Polish, and is fluently
conversational in French, German and Italian.
For more information, please visit Michael’s own website
at www.michaelnewnham.ca.
Video Links:
Rimsky-Korsakov
Scheherezade, mov. 3
Sibelius
-Symphony 2 Movement 2
Sibelius
-Symphony 2 Movement 3
Sibelius
-Symphony 2 Movement 4
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