Steve Dummer

Our Musical Director is Steve Dummer. The 2011-2012 season is the third season he has directed the Worthing Philharmonic Orchestra since taking up his appointment in September 2009.

Steve originally trained as a clarinettist under the late, great Jack Brymer at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, and subsequently studied conducting with Christopher Adey and Edwin Roxburgh at the Royal College of Music.

After attending master classes at Dartington International Summer School with french conductor and contemporary music specialist Diego Masson, her was described as "one of the best young conductors I have ever met".

In 1998, with funding from an "Arts for Everyone" grant, he formed the highly acclaimed group Talkestra, which reaches new audiences for concert music with a new way of concert giving. "Strongly recommended" by the BBC, Talkestra performances feature a "tour" of the music to give a better starting point for listening, while making the atmosphere of the concert hall much  less intimidating.

He is director of the wind band course at Dartington International Summer School, and regularly conducts concerts there with both amateurs and professionals, including collaboration with Harrison Birtwistle on a programme of his music with the Concillium Orchestra, concertos with David Campbell, Nona Liddell, Andrew Ball, Gerard McChrystal amongst others and some Pro-Am spectaculars. He is also a conductor for the European Youth Summer Music Summer School.

Other groups he has conducted include:

• Jena Philharmonic Orchestra (world premiere of 'Nomade' by German clarinettist Michael Riessler)
• Essential Opera
• Connecticut Comic Opera Company
• Concillium Orchestra
• Oxford University Chamber Orchestra
• Southampton University Symphony Orchestra
• Clifton Camerata
• Royal College of Music Symphony Orchestra
• Opera Up Close - the British premiere of Milhaud's Medeé

He regularly works with student and community groups including Horsham Symphony Orchestra and Aylesbury Choral Society (1993-2002), and is a guest conductor and wind coach for Brighton Youth Orchestra which includes performances around UK and tours to Hong Kong, Germany and France.

He is a regular collaborator with New Music Brighton, the largest composers collective in the UK giving many first performances as a conductor and player and he is musical director of the newly formed COMA Sussex (Contemporary Music making for Amateurs) which recently played as part of the Brighton Live Festival.

As a clarinettist, Steve still gives regular concerts throughout the UK and in Europe including recitals at Dartington International Summer School and the Chapel Royal, Brighton.

In the last year he has given the world premiere of Peter Copley's Clarinet Sonata and the British premieres of 'Nintendo Music' by Australian composer Matthew Hindson (with a CD release to follow later this year) and Mulatash Stomp by American composer Derek Bermel. He was a member of Juan Martin's Flamenco Group featuring on the much admired CD 'Musica Alhambra' and is a founder member of the zany jazz band Itchy Feet. As a composer and arranger, he has had music played throughout the country including orchestral and ensemble scores, big band charts, a film score for the Brighton Live Festival, and educational music.