Black and White image of Conductor Katherine Stonham, standing against a plane background. Her profile is looking to the left and there is a large shadow behind her.

Principal Conductor - Katherine Stonham

Originally from Trowbridge, Wiltshire, Katherine is a graduate of the GRNCM/MusB 'Joint Course', run between the Royal Northern College of Music and the University of Manchester, where she studied violin with Julia Hanson and conducting with Robert Guy. She graduated from the University of Manchester with a first-class honours degree in July 2020 and was awarded the GRNCM diploma in July 2021.

In July 2021, Katherine made her professional conducting debut at the Buxton International Festival, where she conducted three performances of Jonathan Dove's community opera 'The Enchanted Pig', working alongside a cast and creative team of fellow students and alumni from the University of Manchester. Following this, she was selected to participate in a masterclass at the Royal Opera House, working on excerpts from Mozart's 'Le Nozze di Figaro' with Alice Farnham, Sian Edwards and Jessica Cottis. She has also worked as an assistant conductor with Heritage Opera (‘Cosi Fan Tutte’, June 2019) and the West of England Youth Orchestra (January 2019), and participated in a masterclass with Mark Heron, Clark Rundell and the BBC Philharmonic

(September 2019). Other conductors she has attended masterclasses with include Jonathan Mann and Toby Purser. Katherine enjoys working with student and amateur ensembles and her experience ranges from symphonic repertoire to wind orchestras and chamber choirs. She was musical director of the Crosby Capriol Singers for three years, before taking up the post of principal conductor with the Huddersfield Philharmonic Orchestra in May 2022.

She also works regularly as a guest conductor with groups including the Cheltenham Chamber Orchestra and Orchestra of Square Chapel in Halifax. Katherine is the founder and principal conductor of the Manchester Philharmonic Orchestra, a dynamic new amateur orchestra based in south Manchester.

Katherine is an experienced teacher and works regularly for Music And Performing Arts Salford (MAPAS), delivering individual, whole class and ensemble tuition for schools across the city.

Image credit - Heinz Donnelly Schmidt. Please seek permission before use.

Previous Conductors

2019 - 2021 - Rita Castro Blanco

2013-2019 – Robert Guy

2011 – 2013 – Nicholas R.N. Smith

2004 – 2010 – Natalia Luis-Bassa

1993 – 2001 – Rupert D’Cruze

1964 – 1993 – Arthur Butterworth

William Rees

J Fletcher Sykes