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Stacey Watton

Double Bass

Conductor • Music Director
International Solo Bass • Chamber Musician • Principal Double Bass • Musicians Contractor
www.staceywatton.com

DOUBLE BASS POSITIONS: 
Esprit EnsemblePrincipal Conductor, Artistic/Managing
 Director, Concerto Soloist
London Chamber OrchestraPrincipal Bass Concerto Soloist
London Mozart Players Principal Bass Concerto Soloist
Orchestra of the Swan 
Principal Bass
Locrian Ensemble Concerto Soloist
Primavera Chamber OrchestraPrincipal Bass, Concerto Soloist
English Soloist’s EnsembleSolo Bass
Chamber Domaine 
Solo Bass
London Festival of Chamber MusicSolo Bass
National Symphony Orchestra Principal Bass
Johann Strauss OrchestraPrincipal Bass

PRIZES:
Prize Winner at the International Koussevitsky Competition Moscow 1995.
Eugene Cruft Prize for Double Bass 1993.

CHAMBER MUSIC EXPERIENCE:  
Spectrum Concerts Berlin Philharmonie Concerto Soloist                                                     
 
Julian Rachlin Festival Bergen 
Solo Bass 
Julian Rachlin & Friends DubrovnikSoloist
Janine Jansen International Festival


VredenburgConcerto Soloist
Baverian Radio Orchestra Orchestra 
Concerto Soloist
Eilat International Festival IsraelSoloBass
Steven Isserlis Bath Mozart Fest & Wigmore Hall Soloist
Gulbenkian Festival Belcea Quartet Solo Bass
Perth International Festival Belcea QuartetSolo Bass
Florestan TrioSolo Bass
KennedySolo Bass
Wanstead Festival Concerts Concerto Soloist
Aberystwyth Festival Symanowski QuartetSolo Bass



ORCHESTRAL EXPERIENCE:

Royal Concertgebouw HollandGuest Principal, Principal Trial
Royal Philharmonic OrchestraGuest Principal, Principal Trial
London Philharmonic Orchestra Guest Principal, Co-Principal Trial
Royal Scottish National Orchestra  
Guest Principal
HalléGuest Principal, Principal Trial
Royal Philharmonic Concert OrchestraGuest Principal
BBC Concert Orchestra Guest Principal
Russian Chamber Orchestra Guest Principal
Amsterdam Sinfonietta Guest Principal
Guildhall String EnsembleGuest Principal
Orchestra of St John’sGuest Principal
City of London SinfoniaGuest Principal
English Chamber OrchestraGuest Principal
Moscow VirtuosiGuest Principal
Britten SinfoniaGuest Principal
Northern SinfoniaGuest Principal, Principal Trial
City of Oxford OrchestraGuest Principal, Concerto Soloist
Mozart Festival OrchestraGuest Principal
Ambache EnsembleGuest Principal
London Pops OrchestraGuest Principal
Composer’s Ensemble Guest Principal
Oxford PhilomusicaGuest Principal
London Pro-ArteGuest Principal
Southern Pro-ArteGuest Principal
Brandenburg Sinfonia Guest Principal, Concerto Soloist
London OctaveGuest Principal
LontanoSoloist
London MusiciGuest Principal
Tango SiempreSolo Bass
Bournemouth SinfoniettaTrial Co-Principal
English National OperaGuest Principal
London Symphony Orchestra

English Classical PlayersPrincipal 2000-2009



SESSIONS:

First Take MusicPrincipal Bass
Music SolutionsPrincipal Bass
Isobel GriffthsGuest Principal
Andy BrownGuest Principal
Cathy GilesGuest Principal
George Hamer Guest Principal
Alan WilsonGuest Principal
Paul WingGuest Principal
Colin SheenGuest Principal
Mike FullerGuest Principal
Rosie WettersGuest Principal
Cool MusicGuest Principal
Dominique Le GenreSolo Bass
Red Rooster Film and TV

Gavin Wright

Sally Ewins

Juslin Pook

Sue Mitcham

Tonia Davall

LSO

LPO




WEST END SHOWS:

The Lion KingAssociate Conductor 2013-
Les MisérablesAssociate Music Director 2011-2012
Love Never DiesMember/ Associate Conductor
Sound Of MusicMember 2006-2009
NapoleonMember 2000-2001
Scrooge

My Fair Lady

Producers

Ragtime

Swan Lake, Matthew Bourne

Martin Guerre




HEAD HUNTED:

Royal Concertgebouw OrchestraPrincipal
BBC Wales 1997 & 2012Principal
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic OrchestraPrincipal
Hallé Principal, and Northern SinfoniaPrincipal



CLASSICAL CONDUCTING:

MKCO 2014Guest Conductor/ Principal Conductor Trial

Dvorak String Serenade

Fauré Pavane

Tchaikovsky Rococo Variations

Fauré Elégie

Schubert 5th Symphony

Mascagni Cavalleria Rusticana



Vassa City Orchestra, Finland 2013Mozart 39th Symphony

Stravinsky Dumbarton Oaks

Faure Le Tombeau de Couperin

Brahms Symphony no.2



Seinajoki, Finland 2013Prokofiev Classical Symphony

Schubert Symphony no.6



Kuopio Symphony Orchestra 2012Dvorak 9th Symphony

Elgar ‘cello Concerto

Klami Sea Pictures

Strauss Wind Symphony

Dvorak Serenade for Strings

Julie Cooper, The Sceptre of the Dove



Esprit Ensemble 2003- Current Principal Conductor and Music Director

Villa Lobos Bachianas Brasiliérés

Siegfried Idyll Wagner

Mahler 4th Symphony Chamber Version

(Klaus Simon)




WEST END CONDUCTING:

The Lion King (Sir Elton John)
Associate Conductor 2013- Current

Les Misérables (Sir Cameron Mackintosh)Associate Music Director 2011-2012
Love Never Dies (Sir Andrew Lloyd-Webber)Associate Conductor 2010-2011

CONDUCTING PROFESSORS:
Jorma Panula
Atso Almila, Sibelius Academy
Graduated as a Scholar with Distinction in Conducting from Guildhall School of Music in 1995 Conducting
Scholarship Offered 1995 (Declined)

PERFORMED ALONGSIDE:
Claudio Abbado, Daniel Barenboim, Teresa Berganza, Pincas Zuckerman, Itzhak Perlman, Maxim
Vengerov, Montserrat Cabillé, Luciano Pavorotti, Dame Kiri te Kanawa, Andras Schiff, Radu Lupu, Renée Fleming, Willard White, Wynton Marsalis, Kung Wa Chung, Sarah Chang, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Giulini,Sir Georg Solti, Lutoslawski, Rostropovich, Sir Colin Davis, Sir Charles Mackerras, Mariss Jansons, Janine Jansen, Julian Rachlin, Joshua Bell, Mischa Maisky, Ian Bostridge, Mark Ainsley, Anthony Marwood, Richard Lester, Gustavo Núñez, Henk Rubingh, Torlief Thédeen, Radovan Vlatkovic, Mihaela Ursuleasa, Milan Turkovic, Martin Frost, Nigel Kennedy, Nick Dodd, Sir Roger Moore, John Malkovich, Sir Michael Parkinson, Sir Paul McCartney, Sir George Martin, George Michael, Roxette, Boy George, West Life, Emma Bunton (Baby Spice), Travis, Mushroom, Michael Ball, Enya, Diana Rigg, Jim Davidson, Griff Rhys Jones, Simon Callow, Rory Bremner, Selina Scott, Vanessa May, Simon Callow, Peter Gabriel, Kylie Minogue and Dame Edna Everage to name but a few


Biography

“A versatile and accomplished artist” was how Classical Music Magazine described Stacey many years ago and the Scottish press heralded him as a ”A Wizard” of the Double Bass. Neither may have realised at the time that more versatilities and wand waving were to follow. Stacey is Principal Double Bass with the London Chamber Orchestra, the London Mozart Players, the Orchestra of the Swan, Primavera Chamber Orchestra, Chamber Domaine, the English Soloist’s Ensemble, the National Symphony and the Johann Strauss Gala Orchestras. He is also a Principal Bass for Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber. Stacey has also appeared as a guest principal with larger groups such as the Royal Concertgebouw, the Royal and London Philharmonics, the Hallé, the BBC Concert Orchestra, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. He is Principal Bass, Principal Conductor and Founder of the Esprit Ensemble LTD.

Stacey made his concerto début on the Bass at the age of thirteen and on the Piano at seventeen. He won the Eugene Cruft Prize for the Double Bass at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where he studied as a scholar and later became a professor. Stacey appeared live on Russian television and radio after becoming a prize winner at the first International Koussevitsky Double Bass competition in Moscow in 1995.

Having had a tremendously busy career as a concerto soloist, chamber musician and orchestra principal performing on recordings, live television and radio broadcasts, not to mention having a busy commercial career recording the sound tracks to numerous Hollywood films. Stacey has now embarked on a career as a conductor making his major London début conducting Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom sequel “Love Never Dies”. Continuing to show his adaptability he recently conducted Wagner’s Siegfried Idyll and Mahler’s very technical 4th Symphony, with some of the professions’ finest musicians at his own music festival with the ensemble he founded in 2002. The Mahler performance was well received and he was subsequently invited to become an Associate Music Director at Sir Cameron Mackintosh’s world famous epic show ‘Les Misérables.’ This in turn lead him to his current Associate Conducting position at Disney’s world famous ‘Lion King’ at the Lyceum Theatre in the heart of the West End. Stacey regularly flies to Finland to conduct, recently giving performances of Brahms 2, Dvorak 9, Elgar ‘cello concerto, Strauss Wind Symphony and Stravinsky’s Dumbarton Oaks. He has also appeared as guest conductor with the Milton Keynes City Orchestra conducting Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations along side his long time friend, and esteemed ‘cellist of the Tippett Quartet, Bozidar Vukotic.

Jorma Panula, legendary conducting guru, who mentored the likes of Esa Pekka Salonen, Sakari Oramo, Mikko Franck, Jukka-Pekka Saraste said, “Yes!! You describe the music!” after he saw Stacey conduct Dvorak’s 9th Symphony, with the Koupio Symphony Orchestra in Finland. Atso Almila, Jorma’s esteemed colleague and highly regarded composer, conductor and head of conducting studies at the Sibelius Academy said “Stacey has so much more to offer than just clear beating like most other conductors offer these days and he looks like he loves being on the podium. Even more interestingly his approach is humble, honest and non stuffy. He has a very positive charisma combined with a humble way of working with others and the music – the essence of it.”

Stacey’s career as a soloist has seen him perform numerous concertos in prestigious venues throughout the world and is one of the few bassists in England to make regular concerto appearances. He was deeply honoured to perform Bottesini’s B Minor Concerto with the Bavarian Radio Chamber Orchestra at the Vredenburg International Chamber Music Festival in Utrecht, Holland. He impressed audience and colleagues alike at the ease at which he performed the technically challenging Dragonetti’s Grande Allegro with the wonderfully spirited London Chamber Orchestra at St John’s Smith Square, London. Stacey has also enjoyed sharing the recital stage with eminent ‘cellists Steven Isserlis, Torleif Thedeen, and Daniel Mueller-Schott. Performances with the “Mighty” Belcea Quartet and Ian Bostridge at the Gulbenkian International Music Festival Lisbon and Perth International Music Festival were also a highlight of his playing career. Other International artists such as Nigel Kennedy have commented that Stacey is a “remarkable talent”. Each year he is reunited with his chamber music family at Julian Rachlin and Friends International Festival in Dubrovnik, Croatia and at Janine Jansen’s International Chamber Music Festival in Utrecht, Holland. He is always very proud to be included in a family which also includes one of the most famous ‘cellists of all, Mischa Maisky and the ground breaking revolutionary Clarinettist Martin Frost. Oh and not forgetting Sir Roger Moore 007. See his Elephant on utube and all will be revealed.

Stacey is Principal Conductor and the Managing and Artistic Director of “The Esprit Ensemble Limited” and his recording company and session orchestra, “First Take Music”, regularly record for commercial sessions at Abbey Road Studios in London.

The information contained in this CV is provided by the client of MAS.
MAS takes no responsibility for its accuracy.

Instruments
Double Bass, Conductor, Musical Director

Ensembles
Esprit Ensemble, First Take Music, Nimrod Productions