Tom Primrose is a British conductor, accompanist and coach.  He works principally in opera, and his freelance work takes him all over the world, including Opéra National de Paris (Palais Garnier and Bastille), Opéra de Montecarlo, Det Kongelige Teater og Kapel in Copenhagen, Polish National Opera, Korea National Opera, and the Mariinsky (Concert Hall) in St Petersburg.  

He will conduct Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress for the Grange Festival with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in summer 2024.  Other highlights include Mendelssohn Elijah in March in Saffron Hall, as well as concerts in Newbury (Newbury Festival Chorus/Southbank Sinfonia) and Cambridge (Cambridge Philharmonic) later in the spring.

In the UK he has also freelanced for the Royal Opera House, English National Opera, the Grange Festival, Shadwell Opera, Opera Holland Park, and Opera South.  He has assisted and chorusmastered for a host of conductors including Susanna Mälkki, Alexander Soddy, David Parry, Richard Egarr, Finnigan Downie Dear, Francesco Cilluffo, Yan-Pascal Tortelier, Martin Brabbins, Stephen Barlow, and Jean-Luc Tingaud.  In addition to the core operatic repertoire, Tom is particularly sought-after in the preparation of twentieth century opera, and recent engagements have included include Janáček The Makropolos Case, Britten Peter Grimes, Berg Wozzeck, Bartok Bluebeard's Castle and Knussen Where the Wild Things Are.

Conducting credits include Britten Les Illuminations and The Burning Fiery Furnace, Ravel Mother Goose, Elgar Enigma Variations and Serenade, Verdi Requiem, Mozart Sinfonia Concertante, concertos (various) and Requiem, Stravinsky Symphony of Psalms, Handel Messiah, Faure and Durufle Requiems.

He has strong connections with East Anglia where he is Artistic Co-Director of the Southrepps Music Festival,  works regularly at the University of East Anglia, and acted for a time as Assistant Organist and Director of the Girls’ Choir at Norwich Cathedral.  

Tom is an award-winning piano accompanist, and has performed in many of the UK’s principal concert halls and festivals, on BBC television and radio, and has collaborated with leading singers and instrumentalists including Ben Johnson, Christina Gansch, Sophie Bevan, Ellie Laugharne, Jonathan McGovern, Mary Bevan, Susanna Hurrell, Ruby Hughes, Ema Nikolovska, Claire Barnett-Jones, Jose Maria del Monaco, Javier Camerena, Corrine Winters, Jonathan Bloxham, Ben Baker, Eloise Fleur Thom, Jenifer Pike, amongst many others.

Tom studied at the University of Oxford with Robert Saxton, and at the Royal Academy of Music with Michael Dussek and Malcolm Martineau.  He currently lives in Manchester.

tom@tomprimrose.com