“Joyous and expert music-making by the young Multi-Story Orchestra under Christopher Stark’s unflappable direction”
Chris is a conductor based in South London.
He works across a wide range of projects but is particularly drawn to work that is ambitious and creative in its drive to broaden access to classical music. He has worked for organisations such as BBC Proms, Glyndebourne Aurora, OAE, Oper Köln, Garsington Opera, Gürzenich-Orchester, Longborough and the Philharmonia Orchestra as an assistant conductor and as a guest conductor for Aurora, the Lebanese National Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC NOW, ETO, and the United Instruments of Lucilin.
In 2011, Chris co-founded the Multi-Story Orchestra with composer Kate Whitley. Multi-Story’s performances in unconventional spaces of large-scale orchestral works such as The Rite of Spring, John Adams’ Harmonielehre alongside symphonies of Brahms, Beethoven and Sibelius were widely celebrated, and recognised by multiple RPS Awards and in their various appearances at the BBC Proms
“It is exceptionally well conducted by Christopher Stark, a rising star best known for presenting thunderous contemporary scores in a Peckham car park with his Multi-Story Orchestra. Here, however, he shows how elegantly he can shape Mozart, coaxing beautiful textures from his players and pacing the arias perfectly to showcase the young cast”
Chris has worked extensively in opera; at Cambridge he had the opportunity to conduct Pelléas et Mélisande, The Rake’s Progress, The Turn of the Screw and Albert Herring and he has since worked on the music staff of opera companies such as Glyndebourne Festival (who gave him the Lefever Study Award for his work on The Turn of the Screw in 2014), Garsington, Longborough and he has conducted for English Touring Opera
“The mostly amateur orchestra positively blazes under the sure direction of conductor Chris Stark”
Chris is Principal Conductor of the Blackheath Halls Orchestra and also leads their ambitious Community Opera productions; the project brings together a community chorus and orchestra with first class soloists and production values. He is also Principal Conductor of Dulwich, Finchley and the Ernest Read Symphony Orchestras. Ernest Read Symphony Orchestra brings together professional, student and amateur players, putting on ambitious orchestral projects and Chris is proud to continue the pioneering legacy of their founder.
Chris studied the piano and cello growing up, playing in the NYO, turning to conducting whilst a Choral Scholar at Trinity College, Cambridge. At Cambridge, he was received an MA in Music and Musicology and a MusB in Piano Accompaniment, his thesis focusing on Pitch-Class Analysis of the music of James MacMillan. He has a particular interest in contemporary music; for Multi-Story he conducted the works of Grisey, Andriessen, Terry Riley, and he has lead world premieres by Kate Whitley, Dani Howard, Matt Rogers, and Emma-Ruth Richards. He has conducted the BBC Inspire composers competition winners with the Aurora Orchestra for broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and recorded for NMC. He has broadcast on BBC Radio 3 for both Aurora Orchestra and Multi-Story. Christopher studied with Peter Stark, Jorma Panula and Stephen Layton.