Conductor
Gregory Squire conducts the Wellington Youth Orchestra’s 50th Anniversary Concert
Gregory Squire studied conducting with Norman Del Mar at the Royal College of Music.
Prior to his return to New Zealand he combined a busy career as violinist, music educator and conductor. As a conductor his emphasis has always been to work with youth and community ensembles while making the professional orchestras he conducted more accessible by taking them out of the formal confines of the concert hall.
As Music Director of Edinburgh University Opera he conducted productions of Castor et Pollux by Rameau, King Arthur by Purcell, as well as a number of student works.
He also conducted works by Menotti and Barber with soloists from Rome Opera and Menotti as Producer.
As Director of the Scottish Early Music Consort he conducted and directed orchestral concerts, oratorio and opera performances in the company’s subscription series and at the Glasgow International Early Music Festival.
Since his return to New Zealand Gregory has conducted and appeared as soloist with the Wellington Sinfonia, the Kapiti Concert Orchestra, the Wellington Chamber Orchestra, and is the Principal Guest Conductor of the Hawke’s Bay Orchestra.
As the NZSO’s first Education Officer he oversaw the development of the orchestra’s outreach programme, devising and conducting programmes suitable for all ages and taking the orchestra into schools and community venues.
He was Music Director of Massey Conservatorium of Music’s Chamber Orchestra and has conducted concerts and opera at the New Zealand School of Music.
He was for four years Music Director of Wellington Youth Orchestra, a post he held to critical acclaim.
Further afield he has appeared as conductor and soloist with the Lippo Village Community Orchestra (now named Camerata Indonesia) in Jakarta, Indonesia. Here also, Gregory took the opportunity to take the orchestra on outreach activities, performing for school-aged children in less conventional venues, including in a temple.
Gregory Squire and Camerata Indonesia on an outreach concert in a Buddhist temple