Ryan Bancroft

Last updated

Ryan Bancroft
Born1989
Lakewood, California
OccupationConductor

Ryan Bancroft (born 1989) is an American conductor.

Contents

Biography

Bancroft grew up in Lakewood, California, from a working-class background, where his father was a housepainter and his mother worked at a grocery. He attended the California Institute for the Arts (CalArts), where his academic studies focused on trumpet and his mentors included Edward Carroll. Bancroft also developed particular interests in drumming and Ghanaian dance. He earned a BFA degree from CalArts in 2011 and an MFA degree from CalArts in 2013. [1]

One of Bancroft's earliest experiences in conducting was the direction of an ad hoc ensemble in the Requiem of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, in a memorial concert for his father in 2010. [1] He continued conducting studies at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS). During his studies at the RCS, he played trumpet with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (BBC SSO), and conducted the BBC SSO, Red Note, and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Bancroft graduated from the RCS in 2015. [2] In The Netherlands, he participated in the Nationale Master Orkestdirectie via the Amsterdam Conservatory and the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague. His conducting mentors have included Kenneth Montgomery, Ed Spanjaard, and Jac van Steen.

In April 2018, Bancroft was the winner of both the First Prize and the Audience Prize of the Malko Competition for Young Conductors. During the competition, he conducted the de facto world premiere of the competition test composition Sarabande Blues, composed by Poul Ruders, as the first contestant to conduct the complete work without interruption. [3]

In November 2018, Bancroft first guest-conducted the BBC National Orchestra of Wales (BBC NOW), as an emergency substitute for Xian Zhang. He returned as guest conductor to the BBC NOW in May 2019. [4] In September 2019, the BBC NOW announced the appointment of Bancroft as its next principal conductor, effective with the 2020–2021 season, with an initial contract of 3 years. [5] This appointment marks his first orchestral post, which he formally assumed in September 2020. [6] Bancroft is the first American conductor to be named principal conductor of the BBC NOW.

In 2019, Bancroft first guest-conducted the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. In December 2021, the orchestra announced the appointment of Bancroft as its next principal conductor, effective with the 2023–2024 season. [7]

Bancroft and his husband Tyler Smith [8] reside in London. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon Rattle</span> British conductor (born 1955)

Sir Simon Denis Rattle is a British conductor with German citizenship. He rose to international prominence during the 1980s and 1990s, while music director of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (1980–1998). Rattle was principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic from 2002 to 2018, and music director of the London Symphony Orchestra from 2017 to 2023. He has been chief conductor of Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra since September 2023. Among the world's leading conductors, in a 2015 Bachtrack poll, he was ranked by music critics as one of the world's best living conductors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BBC National Orchestra of Wales</span> Welsh symphony orchestra founded in 1928

The BBC National Orchestra of Wales is a Welsh symphony orchestra and one of the BBC's five professional radio orchestras. The BBC NOW is the only professional symphony orchestra organisation in Wales, occupying a dual role as both a broadcasting orchestra and national orchestra. The BBC NOW has its administrative base in Cardiff, at the BBC Hoddinott Hall on the site of the Wales Millennium Centre, since January 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marin Alsop</span> American conductor

Marin Alsop is an American conductor, the first woman to win the Koussevitzky Prize for conducting and the first conductor to be awarded a MacArthur Fellowship. She is music director laureate of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and chief conductor of the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Ravinia Festival, and the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra. She was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2008 and to the American Philosophical Society in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bramwell Tovey</span> British conductor and composer (1953–2022)

Bramwell Tovey was a British conductor and composer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Singapore Symphony Orchestra</span>

The Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) is a symphony orchestra based in Singapore. It is Singapore's flagship orchestra. Its principal concert venue is the Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay. The orchestra also gives concerts at the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall, and performs over 60 concerts per year. The orchestra was first established In 1978 with Choo Hoey its resident director. The orchestra's music director from 1997 to 2019 was Shui Lan, and Hans Graf its Chief Conductor from 2020 and Music Director from 2022. The SSO is part of the Singapore Symphony Group, which also manages the Singapore Symphony Choruses, the Singapore National Youth Orchestra (SNYO), the VCHpresents chamber music series, the Singapore International Piano Festival and the biennial National Piano and Violin Competition. It achieved third place in 2021 for Gramophone's Orchestra of the Year award, and made the list of the BBC Music Magazine's Top 21 Best Orchestras in the World in 2022 and 2023.

The Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra is a Swedish orchestra based in Stockholm. Its principal venue is the Konserthuset.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Loughran</span> Scottish conductor (1931–2024)

James Loughran was a Scottish conductor, the first British conductor to be appointed chief of a major German orchestra.

Stéphane Denève is a French conductor. He is currently music director of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and artistic director of the New World Symphony.

Thomas Dausgaard is a Danish conductor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra</span>

The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra is a Scottish broadcasting symphony orchestra based in Glasgow. One of five full-time orchestras maintained by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), it is the oldest full-time professional radio orchestra in Scotland. The orchestra is based at City Halls in Glasgow.

Ilan Volkov is an Israeli orchestral conductor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gianandrea Noseda</span> Italian conductor (born 1964)

Gianandrea Noseda is an Italian conductor. He is currently the music director of the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C.; general music director (Generalmusikdirektor) of Zurich Opera; principal guest conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra; and the music director of the Tsinandali Festival in Tsinandali, Georgia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerzy Maksymiuk</span> Polish composer, pianist and orchestra conductor

Jerzy Jan Maksymiuk is a Polish composer, pianist and orchestra conductor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donald Runnicles</span> Scottish conductor, born 1954

Sir Donald Cameron Runnicles is a Scottish conductor, known for his Romantic symphonic and operatic repertoire, especially Richard Wagner, Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss and Anton Bruckner. With a career that has spanned the USA, Germany and his native Scotland, Runnicles has served as Music Director of the San Francisco Opera, Principal Guest Conductor of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Principal Conductor of the Orchestra of St. Luke's, Music Director of the Grand Teton Music Festival, Generalmusikdirektor of Deutsche Oper Berlin and as Chief Conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. He is scheduled to serve as chief conductor-designate for the 2024–2025 season of the Dresden Philharmonic.

Christopher Seaman is a British conductor.

Stefan Solyom is a Swedish conductor and composer. He is the nephew of the Swedish-Hungarian pianist János Solyom.

Garry Walker is a Scottish conductor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colin Currie</span> Award-winning Scottish percussionist

Colin David Currie is a multi award-winning Scottish virtuoso percussionist. He is the founder and leader of the Colin Currie Group, an ensemble specializing in performing and recording the music of Steve Reich.

Holly Mathieson is a New Zealand conductor and music academic.

Nigel Boddice MBE, hon. ARAM was a British trumpet player, conductor and band leader who was prominent in the UK brass band scene. He performed and recorded with many orchestras and bands over his lifetime, including a 20-year tenure as the Section Principal Trumpet of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

References

  1. 1 2 Levinsky, Andy (Winter–Spring 2019). "Millenial Maestro". The Pool – CalArts Alumni Magazine. 4: 20–29. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
  2. "RCS graduate Ryan Bancroft appointed Principal Conductor of BBC National Orchestra of Wales" (Press release). Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. September 11, 2019. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
  3. Andrew Mellor (April 30, 2018). "Ryan Bancroft wins 2018 Malko Competition for Young Conductors". Gramophone. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
  4. Martin Cullingford (September 11, 2019). "Ryan Bancroft named BBC NOW Principal Conductor". Gramophone. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
  5. "BBC National Orchestra of Wales announce Ryan Bancroft as new Principal Conductor" (Press release). BBC Media Centre. September 11, 2019. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
  6. Tim Ashley (September 10, 2020). "BBCNOW/Bancroft review – panache, poignancy and a howl of protest". The Guardian. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
  7. "Ryan Bancroft – Ny chefdirigent 2023/24" (Press release). Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. December 6, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  8. Linda Robertson (December 2020). "Music in motion: Ryan Bancroft". RCS Review. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  9. Kyle McMillan (April 27, 2022). "Ryan Bancroft: A Conductor Catapulted onto the World's Stage". Colorado Music Festival. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
Cultural offices
Preceded by Principal Conductor, BBC National Orchestra of Wales
2020–present
Succeeded by
incumbent
Preceded by Principal Conductor, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra
2023–present
Succeeded by
incumbent