HAMISH McKEICH (conductor)

Click here to visit Hamish's website (www.mckeich.net)

Hamish McKeich is an extremely versatile conductor, performing in a large variety of mediums including symphonic, contemporary, opera, chamber ensemble and big band. He works regularly with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and has recently been appointed Associate Conductor with them.
During the 11 years that he spent based in Europe, he studied conducting with world renowned teacher and pedagogue Ilya Musin and also prominent conductors Valery Gergiev, Sian Edwards, Peter Eötvös and Lawrence Leonard. During this time McKeich also worked as a conductor and as a freelance bassoonist.
His recent conducting engagements include the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, New Zealand Chamber Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonia in collaboration with NBR New Zealand Opera, and further contemporary and experimental performances with New Zealand's two premiere music ensembles, Stroma and 175 East. He regularly returns to Holland to direct the EX Orkest and in 2002 embarked on a third European tour with them.

HISTORY
•Hamish McKeich was born in Christchurch, New Zealand and began bassoon studies with his father, Rosslyn McKeich. In 1986 McKeich moved to Sydney, where he studied bassoon with Gordon Skinner. At the age of 19, he took the position of Associate Principal Bassoon with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and the Australian Chamber Orchestra. The following year he won the New Zealand National Concerto Competition and was a finalist in ‘Young Performer of the Year’ in Australia. That same year he made his conducting debut in Sydney, conducting members of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
•In 1989 Hamish McKeich moved to London where he studied conducting with Lawrence Leonard and Sian Edwards. During his time in London he worked as Assistant Conductor of the Morley Opera Company and conducted the Morley Chamber Orchestra also continuing to freelance on the bassoon with the Philharmonia and the BBC.
•Hamish McKeich moved to Amsterdam in 1992. In Holland, he conducted orchestral, opera, music-theatre and instrumental repertoire and gave many premiere performances of new music. He worked with Het Nederlands Philharmonisch, Het Noordhollands Philharmonisch Orkest (with which he has also appeared as a soloist) and conducted numerous ad-hoc ensembles. He also performed as a free improviser on bassoon.
McKeich was a participant in the 1996 Kirill Kondrashin International Conducting Masterclass in Hilversum, Holland and was also a finalist of the Gergiev Festival Conductors Masterclass, under the guidance of Professor Ilya Musin and Valery Gergiev.
•In June 1998 Hamish McKeich made his New Zealand conducting debut with the Auckland Philharmonia in collaboration with Opera New Zealand. Since then he has gained substantial prominence in New Zealand’s cultural circles, conducting regularly the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the new music ensembles Stroma (of which he is a founder) and 175 East, Auckland Philharmonia and Wellington Sinfonia.