Graham Scott, after studying with David Tidboald at Cape Town University, conducted opera and musicals for CAPAB and then spent five years in London with the National Theatre, the Chelsea Opera, the Royal Ballet School and commercial television. A highlight of this period was a performance of Troilus and Cressida with Sir William Walton in attendance. In 1985 he returned to South Africa as Resident Conductor of the newly-formed Natal Philharmonic Orchestra in Durban and in addition was made Music Director of the NAPAC Department of Musical Theatre where he worked in close association with the late Geoffrey Sutherland. In May 1998 he was appointed Artistic Director of the Philharmonic Orchestra at the State Theatre. Since the dissolution of the orchestra he has returned to his freelance conducting career.
Opera is his first love and his career includes amongst others seasons of La Boheme, Tosca, Gianni Schicchi, Dialogues des Carmelites, Albert Herring, Werther, The Barber Of Seville, L'Elisir d'Amore, Don Pasquale, and countless opera galas and concerts. He initiated the hugely successful opera extravaganza Aqua Opera in the Cape Town Waterfront and the Valentine Enchantment concerts with the Black Tie Ensemble and the SA Ballet Theatre. World premieres are a speciality including the Denzil Weale/Michael Williams jazz opera Love and Green Onions for Cape Town Opera, the Tomas Rajna/Athol Fugard Valley Song at the Spier Festival, as well as the South African premiere of Bizet's The Pearl Fishers.
He has a special empathy with dancers and, amongst others, for The State Theatre Ballet and SA Ballet Theatre he has conducted Swan Lake, Cinderella, The Merry Widow, Rubies, Ballet Imperial, Who Cares?, Romeo & Juliet, Don Quixote, and for Cape Town City Ballet, Swan Lake, Raymonda and Spartacus.
At an early point in his career, Graham established himself in the genre of Musical Theatre and is regarded as the finest Musical Director of his generation, having conducted over 75 seasons over the past thirty years. Favourites among these include Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods, My Fair Lady, Camelot, Jesus Christ Superstar, West Side Story and also the phenomena of Big Band Blast and Songs From The Mediterranean, both produced by Harry Sideropoulos.
Although he specialises in theatre work, he has conducted countless concerts, spanning symphony, pops, corporate and light music. Along with Elaine Ash, he founded the Pretoria News Proms, which ran for a fun-filled ten years. He was responsible for many seasons of the Johannesburg and Jacaranda Pops and annually conducts the hugely successful Huisgenoot Skouspel seasons, which appear regularly on TV. He appears regularly at the Oudtshoorn, Grahamstown and Aardklop festivals and has been instrumental in developing much innovative corporate entertainment, initiating cross-over of genres and commissioning new work from many SA composers. Highlights amongst these have been Nelson Mandela's 80th birthday celebration, the crowning of the King of the Bafokeng, and the World Summit. He is particularly associated with Elsabe Laubscher's Johannesburg Music Initiative [JMI], which has effectively spearheaded development of black orchestral players, youth music development, as well as educational orchestral work with Southern African regional choirs and their conductors. He also teaches conducting and composition privately.
His many TV recordings include an award winning Stravinsky's A Soldier's Tale, An Operetta Gala, several Aids Benefit Galas, Judy [a tribute to Garland], The King and I, the ballet Swan Lake with the SABT, Skouspel, and many other concerts.
After many years he has returned to the art of arrangement and orchestration which he is finding extremely enjoyable and rewarding. He holds a Nederburg Opera Prize, 5 Vita Awards, a Gold Loerie Award and two Durban Theatre Awards. He has served as an Advisory Member of the National Arts Council and is on the audition panel of the University of Pretoria Symphony Orchestra.
Opera is his first love and his career includes amongst others seasons of La Boheme, Tosca, Gianni Schicchi, Dialogues des Carmelites, Albert Herring, Werther, The Barber Of Seville, L'Elisir d'Amore, Don Pasquale, and countless opera galas and concerts. He initiated the hugely successful opera extravaganza Aqua Opera in the Cape Town Waterfront and the Valentine Enchantment concerts with the Black Tie Ensemble and the SA Ballet Theatre. World premieres are a speciality including the Denzil Weale/Michael Williams jazz opera Love and Green Onions for Cape Town Opera, the Tomas Rajna/Athol Fugard Valley Song at the Spier Festival, as well as the South African premiere of Bizet's The Pearl Fishers.
He has a special empathy with dancers and, amongst others, for The State Theatre Ballet and SA Ballet Theatre he has conducted Swan Lake, Cinderella, The Merry Widow, Rubies, Ballet Imperial, Who Cares?, Romeo & Juliet, Don Quixote, and for Cape Town City Ballet, Swan Lake, Raymonda and Spartacus.
At an early point in his career, Graham established himself in the genre of Musical Theatre and is regarded as the finest Musical Director of his generation, having conducted over 75 seasons over the past thirty years. Favourites among these include Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods, My Fair Lady, Camelot, Jesus Christ Superstar, West Side Story and also the phenomena of Big Band Blast and Songs From The Mediterranean, both produced by Harry Sideropoulos.
Although he specialises in theatre work, he has conducted countless concerts, spanning symphony, pops, corporate and light music. Along with Elaine Ash, he founded the Pretoria News Proms, which ran for a fun-filled ten years. He was responsible for many seasons of the Johannesburg and Jacaranda Pops and annually conducts the hugely successful Huisgenoot Skouspel seasons, which appear regularly on TV. He appears regularly at the Oudtshoorn, Grahamstown and Aardklop festivals and has been instrumental in developing much innovative corporate entertainment, initiating cross-over of genres and commissioning new work from many SA composers. Highlights amongst these have been Nelson Mandela's 80th birthday celebration, the crowning of the King of the Bafokeng, and the World Summit. He is particularly associated with Elsabe Laubscher's Johannesburg Music Initiative [JMI], which has effectively spearheaded development of black orchestral players, youth music development, as well as educational orchestral work with Southern African regional choirs and their conductors. He also teaches conducting and composition privately.
His many TV recordings include an award winning Stravinsky's A Soldier's Tale, An Operetta Gala, several Aids Benefit Galas, Judy [a tribute to Garland], The King and I, the ballet Swan Lake with the SABT, Skouspel, and many other concerts.
After many years he has returned to the art of arrangement and orchestration which he is finding extremely enjoyable and rewarding. He holds a Nederburg Opera Prize, 5 Vita Awards, a Gold Loerie Award and two Durban Theatre Awards. He has served as an Advisory Member of the National Arts Council and is on the audition panel of the University of Pretoria Symphony Orchestra.
Design: Trevor Harper ©2009 Programming:
