Eamonn Dougan

Conductor

https://thesixteen.com/eamonn

Eamonn Dougan is an inspirational communicator with a wide-ranging repertoire and is a renowned vocal coach and baritone. “It was the first of many occasions when conductor Eamonn Dougan would demonstrate a remarkable knack for finding the perfect balance between allowing the emotion time to speak while keeping everything moving” (Bachtrack - MacMillan Seven Last Words); Eamonn is Associate Conductor of The Sixteen, founding Director of Britten Sinfonia Voices, Music Director of the Thomas Tallis Society, and Chief Conductor for Jersey Chamber Orchestra.

Alongside Eamonn’s regular conducting, upcoming projects include returns to conduct MacMillan’s All the Hills and Vales Along for the Cumnock Tryst’s tenth anniversary Birthday Gala Concert, a return to Chamber Choir Ireland in addition to his directorship of CCI’s training programme ‘CCI Studio’, Ars Nova Copenhagen, continuing his series with Jersey Chamber Orchestra (where concert guests have included Nicola Benedetti, Alexander Sitkovetsky, Lawrence Power, Natalie Clein, Alison Balsom, Elizabeth Watts, Sophie Bevan, Lawrence Zazzo, Victoria Simmonds and Kate Royal) and recording with De Profundis on Hyperion for the 4th Morales disc in the series. Eamonn also heads to London, Krakow & Warsaw to tour his beautiful Polish Baroque programme, taken from his highly commended series (recorded on CORO) of Italian maestri at the Polish Court of the 16th and early 17th centuries. Eamonn will also lead a new programme for ‘The Song Company’ on its May/June ’25 Australian tour.

In addition, Eamonn will make his debut conducting Philharmonia Orchestra & Chorus in Handel Messiah at Royal Festival Hall in December, and he makes his debut conducting the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra at the start of season 25-26.

Recent highlights have included earning a distinguished Diapason d’Or for the first disc in a 12-album series of Morales’ complete Masses and Magnificats with De Profundis on Hyperion - “We can feel confident that the future of this bold project is in the best possible hands.” (Gramophone); advising on and directing performances for the Royal Academy of Music’s Bach the European series; debuts with English National Opera for Haydn Seven Last Words of our Saviour on the Cross “This was a triumph. Dougan clearly loves the work and brought a real sense of style to the orchestra while finding lightness from the large chorus” (Seen and Heard), with Chorwerk Ruhr in a programme celebrating the 400th anniversary of Byrd, a Christmas tour with Ars Nova; Handel Messiah in two performances at Auditorio Nacional de Madrid with Orquesta Barroca de Sevilla and Chamber Choir Ireland; Handel Semele at Sibelius Summer Academy and Handel Acis and Galatea for Ryedale Festival Opera, for which he was invited back to conduct the subsequent production of Venus & Adonis and Eamonn returned to conduct the Cumnock Tryst Festival Chorus in the world premiere of Phillip Cooke’s Gloria (commissioned especially for the Tryst).

Notable successes have included the world premiere of James MacMillan All the Hills and Vales Along at the Cumnock Tryst Festival with Ian Bostridge, conducting the off-stage chorus for Berlioz L’Enfance du Christ with The Hallé, Britten Sinfonia Voices and Genesis Sixteen for BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall. He assisted Sir Mark Elder for Opera Rara’s world premiere concert and recording of Puccini Le Villi with London Philharmonic Orchestra and their recent recording Zingari. Eamonn directed The Sixteen’s highly acclaimed tour of Australia and Singapore, Messiah with Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León and Cappella Amsterdam, made his Spanish debut with the Bilbao Orkestra Sinfonikoa and Real Orquesta Sinfónica de Sevilla, and in Paris at the La Seine Musicale with renowned ensemble Accentus and in Copenhagen with Danish National Symphony Orchestra, VokalEnsemblet and KoncertKor. Eamonn directed De Profundis on their Hyperion release Juan Esquivel’s Missa Hortus Conclusus to critical acclaim: “passionate singing to create an extremely enjoyable and atmospheric recording.’ (Gramophone)

Founder of Britten Sinfonia Voices, he has conducted the ensemble in several world premieres including Sir John Tavener Flood of Beauty, Ēriks Ešenvalds Aqua, Nico Muhly Looking Forward for the Britten Sinfonia’s 20th birthday and the choral premiere of Jóhann Jóhannsson Orphée at the Barbican. Other projects with the Britten Sinfonia have included Bach St John Passion, MacMillan St Luke Passion and Seven Last Words, Britten Curlew River, Birtwistle Yan Tan Tethera, Possibly Colliding: Session Six and a programme of Stravinsky & Mozart at Milton Court as part of the Barbican’s Esa-Pekka Salonen composer focus. He has assisted various conductors including Sir James MacMillan, Martyn Brabbins, Andreas Delfs, Adam Fischer and Sir Mark Elder.

Eamonn has conducted BBC Singers, Narodowe Forum Muzyki Choir, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Orquesta y Coro de la Comunidad de Madrid (ORCAM), Irish Baroque Orchestra, Corinthian Chamber Orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Trondheim Barokk, Wroclaw Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Orchestra North East and London Chamber Orchestra. Eamonn curated and conducted a ‘A Weekend of Excessively Good Taste’ (French Baroque) at Kings Place, London and his developing opera work has included Dido and Aeneas, Mozart La finta giardiniera, and Cosi fan tutte with Ryedale Festival Opera.

Eamonn has a highly successful five-disc Polish Baroque series with The Sixteen. The first disc, music by Bartlomiej Pekiel, was met with widespread critical acclaim and was shortlisted for a Gramophone Award (‘Richly dramatic’ – The Observer; ‘A delightful performance’ – BBC Music Magazine). Subsequent discs in the series include The Blossoming Vine, music by Gorczycki, and Helper and Protector. The fifth disc, music by Marcin Mielczewski, was released in 2017. “The sound is radiant throughout and well balanced … each work is finely shaped by director Eamonn Dougan.” (Limelight Magazine).

Eamonn is consultant coach for the Royal Academy of Music and a Visiting Professor to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London, where he teaches ensemble singing and directs the Guildhall Consort. As Associate Director of The Sixteen, Eamonn also leads the Genesis Sixteen courses as tutor and mentor. Eamonn is also leading a new young artist scheme for Chamber Choir Ireland. In the Autumn 2020 term, Eamonn was Acting Director of Music - Choir of The Queen’s College, Oxford. Eamonn read music at New College, Oxford, before continuing his vocal and conducting studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Eamonn Dougan is managed worldwide by Percius.

For further projects and for print, please download Eamonn’s full biography.