Members Biogs

Michael Etherton - Musical Director

Michael Etherton was Music Scholar at Balliol College, Oxford University, where he also read law. After graduating he studied cello and conducting and subsequently won a scholarship to further his conducting studies at the Jerusalem Rubin Academy of Music under the Chief Conductor of the New Israeli Opera/Israel Symphony Orchestra, Mendi Rodan. During these three years, he was awarded Hebrew University Scholarships, the Leche Trust Outstanding Musician Award, the Kobler Prize, and regularly conducted the Rubin Academy Orchestra.

Since returning to London he has worked as Musical Director of Sinfonia Dolce Vita, a professional chamber orchestra, and as Musical Director at the Theatre Royal, Bury St. Edmonds. He has also worked as a freelance conductor for a number of orchestras and choirs around the UK.

In 2002 and 2003 Michael Etherton was Musical Director for the Israel Independence Day shows at Wembley, London, and he works regularly as a musical director and a producer with many Jewish charities and organisations. He is currently Coordinator of the UK Jewish Film Festival and has co-produced concerts for Israeli singers, Rita, David Broza and Shlomo Artzi.

In 2003 Michael Etherton founded Upfront Opera, which gave its Wigmore Hall debut to considerable acclaim in March 2004 with Viktor Ullmann's opera The Emperor of Atlantis written at Theresienstadt concentration camp. The company has since won an Arts Council award to tour this work nationally.

Michael Etherton recently toured the U.S. with the London Jewish Male Choir, who appointed him as their Musical Director in January 2004. Since December 2004 he has been conductor of the Central Synagogue Choir, and directed the choir for a BBC televised performance in front of the Queen and Prime Minister on Holocaust Memorial Day.