Adrian Partington was appointed artistic director of the BBC National Chorus of Wales in November 1999. He studied at King's College, Cambridge, where he was the organ scholar, and the Royal College of Music. He has enjoyed parallel careers as conductor, chorus master, pianist and organist.
Adrian works regularly with many of the most famous choirs in the UK, including the Philharmonia, the BBC Symphony Chorus, and the London Bach Choir. He also works with leading orchestras each season, such as the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and the English Symphony Orchestra.
In 2003, Adrian conducted the first performance of Katerina (Ruth Byrchmore) for Welsh National Opera, and has subsequently conducted three similar projects for the company. In 2007, he will conduct City Songs - a project for children and orchestra, for WNO in Birmingham.
In addition to being Artistic Director of the BBC National Chorus of Wales, Adrian is conductor of the Bristol Choral Society, conductor of the chorus of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, and associate conductor of the Oxford Bach Choir.
Until September 2000, he was associate conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus and conductor of the CBSO Youth Chorus. Adrian directed these choruses for two recordings which won Gramophone awards: the music of Lili Boulanger, and King Roger by Szymanowski.
Adrian is one of the UK's leading concert organists, making a dozen solo CDs, appearing as soloist with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, CBSO, BBC Philharmonic amongst others. He has appeared across Europe, Australia, Canada, and has toured the US many times.
He is very active as a piano accompanist, and plays in a duo with the distinguished Baroque violinist, Margaret Faultless, with whom he has performed the great 19th century violin sonatas around the UK.
