ANDREW GOURLAY APPOINTED ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR OF THE HALLÉ
The Hallé is delighted to announce that Andrew Gourlay has been appointed Assistant Conductor and will take up his post in September 2010.

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HALLÉ RECORD LABEL WINS CHORAL AWARD WITH DREAM OF GERONTIUS AT 2009 GRAMOPHONE AWARDS
On Friday 2 October Bryn Terfel accepted the Gramophone Choral Award for the Hallé's outstanding recording of Elgar's Dream of Gerontius at a reception at the Dorchester Hotel, London.

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ANDREW GOURLAY APPOINTED ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR OF THE HALLÉ
The Hallé is delighted to announce that Andrew Gourlay has been appointed Assistant Conductor and will take up his post in September 2010.

Chief Executive of the Hallé John Summers says, 'We are delighted that Andrew Gourlay will be the Hallé's new Assistant Conductor. The audition panel's decision was unanimous. Andrew is clearly a young conductor of great talent and energy, and Sir Mark Elder, the Hallé and the Hallé Youth Orchestra are all very much looking forward to working with him.'

'The prospect of working with the Hallé and Sir Mark Elder over the coming years is extremely exciting", says Andrew Gourlay. "Combined with my Musical Directorship of the Hallé Youth Orchestra, this will offer me a wonderful opportunity to develop and I am looking forward to it all immensely.'

A pianist and trombonist by training, the 27-year-old conductor already has a career as a professional trombonist behind him, having played with the Hallé, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Philharmonia Orchestra, Opera North and London Sinfonietta. He had toured Brazil, Argentina and Europe as a member of the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester under Claudio Abbado. Chamber music highlights include winning the Royal Over-Seas League Music Competition with Lancier Brass and concerts with the London Mozart Players Brass Quintet.

Upon winning a Postgraduate Scholarship to study conducting at the Royal College of Music, Andrew Gourlay prepared Bruckner symphonies for Bernard Haitink and Mozart symphonies for Sir Roger Norrington. Since leaving the RCM he has been invited back as a guest conductor, to prepare the orchestra for Vladimir Jurowski and to co-conduct Britten's War Requiem with Martin André.

Andrew was selected in 2008 to conduct the London Symphony Orchestra in a public masterclass with Valery Gergiev. He has worked at the Royal Ballet as Cover Conductor for Barry Wordsworth. Opera work has included Rusalka and La Tragédie de Carmen for English Touring Opera as Staff Music Director of their Autumn 2008 season. Andrew has presented The Early Music Show on BBC Radio 3 along with several features broadcast on the same station.

The Assistant Conductor post is jointly funded by the Hallé and the Musicians Benevolent Fund.

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HALLÉ RECORD LABEL WINS CHORAL AWARD WITH DREAM OF GERONTIUS AT 2009 GRAMOPHONE AWARDS

On Friday 2 October Bryn Terfel accepted the Gramophone Choral Award for the Hallé's outstanding recording of Elgar's Dream of Gerontius at a reception at the Dorchester Hotel, London.

The disc is the latest jewel in the crown of Sir Mark Elder's Elgar recordings with the Hallé, continuing the orchestra's long standing relationship with the music of Elgar established during John Barbirolli's reign in Manchester.

Sir Mark Elder said ''The Hallé has had a long association with Elgar. I am absolutely thrilled to receive this award as it is a testament to, not just my wonderful orchestra, but to our two outstanding choirs."

The soloists, Bryn Terfel, Alice Coote and Paul Groves have been heralded for their tremendous performances and the 'wonderfully imposing' Hallé Choir and Hallé Youth Choir, expertly trained by James Burton, complete the line-up for this sensational disc.

Critical praise for the disc:

'Nothing has charted the rise of the Hallé over the eight years that Mark Elder has been their music director more graphically than their outstanding series of Elgar recordings, which reach a new level with this set.'
The Guardian, 5 stars, November 2008

'Elder's account of Elgar's choral masterpiece ranks with the greatest ever committed to disc.'
The Sunday Times, 'CD of the Week', November 2008

'A formidable champion of Elgar, Elder wrings every last ounce of lush romantic agony from his outstanding players and singers in this mighty setting of Cardinal Newman's angst-ridden text.'
The Observer, November 2008

'It is only fitting that the Hallé should be the source of the only recording of Gerontius in recent times to challenge, even shake, the supremacy of Barbirolli... Bryn Terfel joins a near-perfect Gerontius in Paul Groves for a heavenly performance.'
The Gramophone, January 2009

CD HLL 7520 Elgar Dream of Gerontius
Sir Mark Elder, conductor
Soloists Paul Groves, Alice Coote, Bryn Terfel
Hallé Choir, Hallé Youth Choir.

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