Gavin Carr, Conductor

Gavin Carr is recognised as one of the UK’s leading conductors, specialising in working with major symphony choruses and orchestras to bring the best of the great British choral tradition to music old and new. He conducts the major choral-orchestral repertoire and is at the forefront of promoting new works, with many notable premieres under his belt. Conductor of the celebrated Philharmonia Chorus, the Bournemouth Symphony Chorus and of Bath Minerva Choir, and Founder-Director of Chorus Angelorum and The Carr Consort, he has led these ensembles to international acclaim with a number of world-premiere recordings, regular International tours, and a host of innovative programmes. Collaborations include the Bremen Philharmoniker, the English Chamber Orchestra, the Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra, the Symphony Orchestra of India, and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.

A choral scholar in the choir of King’s College, Cambridge, before commencing an international career as a baritone, he sang lead roles with English National Opera and has appeared as soloist all over the world in concert, recital, and opera. Since 2001 conducting has been his main focus, and he has gained a strong reputation in the baroque and contemporary fields as well as in the standard classical and romantic repertoire. Not content to leave the baroque and early music repertoires to specialist chamber choirs, he is at the forefront of efforts to reintroduce baroque music to the programmes of symphony orchestras in the UK, with historically-informed performances of the Bach Passions and other earlier and Baroque repertoires sung by major symphony choruses in the country’s major concert halls. His Hiroshima War Requiem 2025 project garnered worldwide attention and acclaim, and he will return to the Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra in 2028. In the contemporary field he has premiered important new additions to the repertoire from Richard Blackford (Not in our Time, and Pietà), Paul Carr (Requiem for an Angel and Four new Seasons, the recording of which which will be released in late 2022) and a host of others. A member of the vocal faculty at London’s Royal Academy of Music, he passes on his immense knowledge and experience to the younger generation of world-class talent.

Gavin Carr's releases

Paul Carr: Awakening

Gavin Carr, Conductor

RCD1092
June 2026

Paul Carr’s Awakening is a striking four movement choral work, each movement depicting the seasons – Spring and Autumn Equinox, and the Summer and Winter Solstice.