Lachlan Craig is the Musical Director and Conductor of the Auckland Youth Choir which, under his leadership, has grown to be one of New Zealand’s largest and successful community choirs. He is currently the Performing Arts Coordinator at Diocesan School for Girls. Prior to that he was the Director of Choirs and Strings at Saint Kentigern College, directing the Gold award-winning Chamber Orchestra as well as the multi award-winning choirs Kentoris and Menasing. He is a member of Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir and a Freemasons New Zealand Opera Artist. He is in regular demand in New Zealand and abroad as a tenor soloist, conductor, teacher and adjudicator.
The Brit Award and Double-Classic Brit Award-winning Welsh composer, Paul Mealor has been described as ‘the most important composer to have emerged in Welsh choral music since William Mathias (the New York Times, 2001). Born in St Asaph, North Wales, Paul was voted as the nation’s favourite living composer during the 2012 UK National Radio Station, Classic FM’s Hall of Fame. He has been a Professor of Composition in the University of Aberdeen’s Music Department since 2003. He is President of Ty Cerdd – Wales’s National Centre for music; Vice-President of the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod; Patron of the Welsh Music Guild and Honorary President of the International Choral Festival Wales.
Bernie Sherlock is a Lecturer in Music at Dublin’s DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama, having previously lectured for many years in the School of Music at Trinity College Dublin. She has been Artistic Director of the Association of Irish Choirs’ International Conducting Summer School since 2008 and she is the representative for Ireland on the World Choir Council. Since 2007 Bernie has been musical director of the Culwick Choral Society with whom she has prepared and conducted many of the great works from the repertoire for large choir. Her award-winning chamber choir New Dublin Voices is a consistent prize-winner at major competitions around Europe. Bernie’s extensive conducting experience spans a wide range of choirs, and she has an international profile as an adjudicator, workshop leader, teacher of conducting and of aural training.
Chair of the Panel
Eilir Owen Griffiths is one of Wales’ most dynamic choral conductors, an established music director and one of the most exciting Welsh composers of his generation. With over 15 years’ experience in the music industry he has conducted choirs such as CF1, Côr Godre’r Garth, Côr y Drindod and The Cardiff Blues Choir, with whom he has attained considerable success in competitions and concerts around the World. He is associate conductor of the British Sinfonietta and is a regular contributor to concert platforms and musical events in the UK. His work as a conductor has seen him travel to Ireland, Germany, Poland, France, India and the United States. At the age of 30, Eilir was appointed the youngest ever Music Director of the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, where he spent six very successful years.