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Robert Ainsley - Conductor

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Robert AinsleyRobert Ainsley - Conductor

 

Previously at Portland Opera: 
The Return of Ulysses, 2006; Albert Herring, 2008; La Calisto, 2009; Trouble in Tahiti, 2010

Robert Ainsley began his musical career at the age of eleven, studying the piano and violin at Durham School, in England. He became a Licentiate of Trinity College of Music, London, in solo piano performance at age 17 and won the National Schools’ Chamber Music Competition twice.

 Robert Ainsley

Robert Ainsley - Conductor

 

Previously at Portland Opera: 
The Return of Ulysses, 2006; Albert Herring, 2008; La Calisto, 2009; Trouble in Tahiti, 2010

Robert Ainsley began his musical career at the age of eleven, studying the piano and violin at Durham School, in England. He became a Licentiate of Trinity College of Music, London, in solo piano performance at age 17 and won the National Schools’ Chamber Music Competition twice. Subsequently, Mr. Ainsley was awarded the organ scholarship to St. Catharine’s College, Cambridge, where he studied with Dr. Peter Hurford, Dr. John Butt, and David Sanger. He also directed the chapel choir for three years, conducting and playing in many major venues around the world.

In 1999, he graduated with a degree in Mathematics, and later that year became the senior organ scholar at Christ Church, Greenwich, Connecticut. During his time on the East Coast, he also served as assistant conductor and accompanist of the New Haven Chorale and Greenwich Choral Society. Musical Director of the Marsh Singers, and completed a Master’s degree in solo piano performance at Mannes College of Music, New York City. After serving as Maestro Joseph Colaneri’s assistant in the opera department for a year at Mannes College of Music, Mr. Ainsley joined the Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. His two years in the program culminated in his acting as assistant conductor and pianist for Wagner’s Die Walküre with Maestro Valery Gergiev and Plácido Domingo.

Mr. Ainsley is now the Principal Coach, Chorus Master and Assistant Conductor for Portland Opera, where his work is already receiving critical acclaim. Opera Magazine said of his work on John Adams’ opera Nixon in China; “Robert Ainsley did a superb job in getting a well-balanced and precise sound from the chorus.” Mr. Ainsley has conducted The Return of Ulysses (2006), Albert Herring (2008) and La Calisto (2009) for Portland Opera.

Mr. Ainsley spends his summers continuing to devote his time to the Greenwich Music Festival, of which he is the Co-founder and Principal Conductor.  Previous projects with this group include Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas (2005) and Orff’s Carmina Burana (2006), Handel’s Ode for the Birthday of Queen Anne (2007), and Monteverdi’s The Return of Ulysses (2008), in addition to his work with other companies such as the Utah Festival Opera.

Other recent projects include Ullman’s Der Kaiser von Atlantis with the Greenwich Music Festival (June 2009) and Handel’s Messiah with the Portland Baroque Orchestra (December 2009).