Manoj Kamps is RNCM Junior Fellow
in Conducting
Liz Rowley
Communications Manager
Royal Northern College of Music
124 Oxford Road
Manchester
M13 9RD
T: 0161 907 5369
E: liz.rowley@rncm.ac.uk
W: www.rncm.ac.uk
Twitter: RNCMvoice
Facebook: RNCMLive
The Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) is delighted to announce Manoj Kamps as its
new Junior Fellow in Conducting, commencing in September 2015.
Sri Lankan-born Manoj was one of 14 candidates chosen to attend the live auditions in early
February, selected from over 110 applications. Two candidates made it through to the final
round, each conducting the RNCM Symphony Orchestra in one movement of Brahms’ Third
Symphony, following four rounds featuring wind ensemble, a concerto, contemporary and
chamber orchestra repertoire. He will now receive tuition from Sir Mark Elder, Clark Rundell
and visiting conductors, as well as conduct the RNCM Symphony and Chamber Orchestras
and benefit from the College’s strong links with the Hallé, BBC Philharmonic, Royal Liverpool
Philharmonic and Manchester Camerata.
This year the RNCM has developed special partnerships with the BBC Philharmonic and
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestras where Junior Fellows, as well as postgraduate
conducting students, work as Assistant Conductor several times a year.
Manoj, who previously studied conducting at the Royal Conservatoire of the Hague with Jac
van Steen and Kenneth Montgomery, said: ‘I am extremely grateful and honoured to have
been appointed the new Junior Fellow in Conducting after such a challenging audition
process that was also very instructive. The opportunities this position provides are a dream
come true in terms of the sheer amount of conducting and rehearsing involved, the strong
ties with distinguished professional ensembles in the region and the wonderfully inspiring
environment of the RNCM to work and develop in. I look forward immensely to learning from
the vast experience and expertise of Mark Heron, Clark Rundell and Sir Mark Elder, working
with the RNCM’s ensembles and discovering what life in the UK is like!’
For more information or to request interviews please contact Liz Rowley,
Communications Manager, at liz.rowley@rncm.ac.uk or 0161 907 5369.
Ends
Notes to Editors:

Each year the RNCM selects a Junior Fellow in Conducting. This much sought-after
Fellowship is tenable for two years and provides an opportunity for a young
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conductor, about to enter the profession, to gain widespread experience with the full
range of RNCM ensembles. In addition to tuition from the staff who work with
students on the postgraduate conducting course, Junior Fellows have the
opportunity to work with and receive tuition from Sir Mark Elder, Music Director of
the Hallé. The scheme offers extensive podium time with the RNCM's orchestras,
ensembles and opera projects, and the Junior Fellow also has the freedom to
undertake a certain number of external professional engagements and benefit from
the College’s strong links with the Hallé, BBC Philharmonic, and Royal Liverpool
Philharmonic Orchestras, Manchester Camerata, and Northern Sinfonia. The post
attracts a yearly stipend, which is currently UK £10,500.
Liz Rowley
Communications Manager
Royal Northern College of Music
124 Oxford Road
Manchester
M13 9RD

Previous RNCM Junior Fellows in Conducting include Baldur Brönnimann, André de
Ridder (formerly Assistant Conductor, Hallé Orchestra, currently Principal
Conductor, Ensemble ViVA), Paul Mann (guest conductor with Odense Symphony
Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Hallé and CBSO), Garry Walker
(Permanent Guest Conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Principal
Conductor of Paragon Ensemble), Philippe Bach (winner of the 2006 Concurs
International Jesus Lopez Combos at the Teatro Real in Madrid and
Generalmusikdirektor, Das Meiningen Theater), Lancelot Fuhry (spent three years
as Associate Conductor of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra), Matthew Wood
(Principal Conductor and Artistic Director of Darwin Symphony Orchestra), Ewa
Strusińska (Assistant Conductor of the Hallé and Director of the Hallé Youth
Orchestra for two years), Eduardo Portal (Young Conductor at the Orchestra of the
Age of Enlightenment 2009/10), Kevin Griffiths (Young Conductor at the Orchestra
of the Age of Enlightenment 2010/11), Gergely Madaras (inaugural recipient of the
Charles Mackerras Fellowship at English National Opera and Music Director of the
Orchestre Dijon Bourgogne), and Alexandre Bloch (formerly assistant conductor at
London Symphony Orchestra).

To read Manoj’s full biography visit www.manoj.nl
T: 0161 907 5369
E: liz.rowley@rncm.ac.uk
W: www.rncm.ac.uk
Twitter: RNCMvoice
Facebook: RNCMLive
For up-to-date press releases visit www.rncm.ac.uk/press
For up-to-date news visit www.rncm.ac.uk/news
To access these links please view Headers and Footers.