Mark Heron
Professor and Head of Conducting
Email: [email protected]
Research Portal: Mark Heron
- leadership of the School of Conducting
- teaching Junior Fellows and Masters conducting students
- conducting RNCM orchestras & ensembles
- responsible for conducting electives for undergraduate & postgraduate students who are not principal study conductors
- leadership of the RNCM’s programme of external conducting Masterclasses and short courses
- RNCM lead for ConductIT project
- Knowledge Exchange activity with corporate and sporting bodies
Mark Heron is a Scottish conductor renowned for his dynamic, meticulously rehearsed performances across an exceptionally broad repertoire, his expertise in orchestral training, and his outstanding record as a conducting pedagogue. He holds a personal Chair in Conducting and is Head of Conducting at the RNCM.
He has worked with leading ensembles, including the BBC Philharmonic, BBC Concert Orchestra, Philharmonia, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Manchester Camerata, Psappha, Meininger Hofkapelle, Pori Sinfonietta, among many others.
He is the Music Director of the Nottingham Philharmonic and serves as Professor and Head of Conducting at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), where he leads the world-leading conducting programmes and works extensively with all the college’s orchestras and ensembles. He is also Conductor Laureate of the Liverpool Mozart Orchestra and previously spent ten years as Director of Orchestras at the University of Manchester.
A passionate advocate for young musicians, Mark has conducted ensembles from institutions such as the Royal Academy of Music, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Escola Superior de Música de Lisboa, and Tilburg & Maastricht Conservatoires, as well as the National Youth Wind Orchestras of Great Britain, Wales, and Israel, the Slovenian National Youth Orchestra, and others.
Deeply engaged with contemporary music, he has premiered numerous significant works and collaborated with leading composers, including Kalevi Aho, Sir George Benjamin, Sir Harrison Birtwistle, Unsuk Chin, Tansy Davies, Detlev Glanert, Heiner Goebbels, Anders Hillborg, Giya Kancheli, Magnus Lindberg, Sir James MacMillan, Colin Matthews, Christopher Rouse, Kaija Saariaho, and Mark-Anthony Turnage. Notable operatic premieres include Adam Gorb’s The Path to Heaven (2018) and the European premiere of Daron Hagen’s Bandanna (2006). His discography includes dozens of recordings with the RNCM Wind Orchestra for labels such as Chandos, Naxos, NMC, ASC, and Polyphonic, as well as projects with the BBC Concert Orchestra, Seckou Keita, and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. He has also conducted numerous broadcasts with BBC orchestras.
Mark studied at the RSAMD and RNCM. Following a successful career as a chamber musician and freelancer with many of the UK’s leading symphony orchestras, he pursued conducting studies at the RNCM and in masterclasses with Neeme and Paavo Järvi, Jorma Panula, and Sir Mark Elder. He also participated in the London Symphony Orchestra’s young conductor mentoring programme under Sir Colin Davis.
In addition to his conducting work, Mark is regarded as one of the world’s leading conducting teachers. His students have achieved international success, and he has played a key role in shaping conducting programmes at the RNCM and the University of Manchester. He is a visiting professor for the Royal Air Force and frequently leads conducting masterclasses worldwide. He was the lead content author for the online conducting resource ConductIT.
Current and Future Research
Articles
- MPhil research into methods of training conductors in different parts of the world
- Guest Editor of Winds Magazine, Autumn 2012
- Various articles for publications & journals
Online
- ConducIT, Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership with University of Stavanger, University of Aveiro, Open University
https://ConductIT.eu - “From Notation to Performance: Understanding Musical Scores”, open online course in assosciation with The Open University and Future Learn
https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/musical-scores
Recordings
- Joaquin Rodrigo Latin Winds, RNCM Wind Orchestra, Chandos
- Robert Russell Bennett The Wind Music of Robert Russell Bennett, RNCM Wind Orchestra, Chandos
- Adam Gorb Dancing in the Ghetto, Manchester Camerata & RNCM Wind Ensemble, Prima Facie Records, March 2016
- Paul Goodey Hohler Fells – Concerto for Flutes. Karin de Fleyt and RNCM Wind Orchestra, Metier, March 2016
- Alwyn Film Music of William Alwyn, RNCM Wind Orchestra, Naxos, February 2012
- Ball, Fitkin, Scott, Ter Veldhuis Gameshow – Saxophone Concertos CD with RNCM Wind Orchestra, RNCM Wind Orchestra, Clark Rundell/Mark Heron, Rob Buckland & guest John Harle Saxophone & Wind Orchestra, Sospiro Records, Nov 2011
- Adam Gorb Towards Nirvana, RNCM Wind Orchestra, NMC, May 2010
- Stephen McNeff Image in Stone, RNCM Wind Orchestra, Campion Cameo, Jan 2009
- Repertoire Recordings for Polyphonic, 11 CDs with RNCM Wind Orchestra fetauring composers such as Martin Ellerby, Nigel Clarke, Philip Sparke, Kit Turnbull, Gary Carpenter, Adam Gorb, Rob Wiffin, Duncan Stubbs etc
Significant Premieres & Contemporary Music performances
- Adam Gorb – The Path to Heaven. World premiere performances of this opera, June 2018
- Daron Hagen – Bandanna. European premiere of this 2 Act opera, May 2006
- RNCM Composer Festivals including Harrison Birtwistle, James MacMillan, Magnus Lindberg, Unsuk Chin, Detlev Glanert, Steve Mackey, Mark Antony Turnage, Christopher Rouse, Heiner Goebbels, Giya Kancheli, Kalevi Aho, Robert Saxton, Howard Skempton, Colin Matthews
- Broadcasts for BBC Radio 3 Hear & Now with Psappha
Research Areas
- Conducting
- Conducting Pedagogy
- Leadership
- Wind Ensembles and Repertoire
External Research Roles
- Head of Conducting, RNCM
- Music Director, Nottingham Philharmonic Orchestra
- Conductor Laureate, Liverpool Mozart Orchestra
- Director of Wind Conducting Faculty, Sherborne Summer School of Music
- Visiting Professor of Conducting, Royal Air Force Music Services
- Lead Content Author, ConductIT
Research Funding
“ConductIT”. A 3 year Erasmus Strategic Pertnership between the RNCM, University Institute Stavanger, University of Aveiro and The Open University. €440,000 grant to develop methods of teaching conducting online.
Undergraduate Teaching
- All undergraduate conducting electives
- Orchestras & Ensembles
Postgraduate Teaching
- Junior Fellow and Masters principal study teacher
- Graduate School Conducting Elective
- Orchestras & Ensembles
Research Supervision
Previous supervision.
Dr Mevin Tay: Re-realising opera performance for chamber ensemble
Selected Outputs
www.conductIT.eu
Professional Activity
Recent performances with professional orchestras & ensembles such as:
- BBC Philharmonic
- BBC Concert Orchestra
- Manchester Camerata
- Royal Liverpool Philharmonic
- Psappha
- Meininger Hofkapelle
- Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Recent Masterclasses include:
- University Institute Stavanger
- Hochschule für Musik FRANZ LISZT Weimar
- Escola Superior de Musica de Lisboa
- Hochschule der Künste Bern HKB
- RIA International Conducting Masterclass (Aveiro, Portugal)
- Allegra Masterclasses (Sofia, Bulgaria)
- Royal Air Force Music Services
- Royal Marines Band Service
- Sherborne Summer School of Music
- Melbourne Conservatorium
- Australian Band & Orchestra Directors Association
- Pirkanmaan Piina Masterclasses (Finland)
- Aveiro University (Portugal)
Recent recordings
- Manchester Camerata (ASC)
- RNCM Wind Orchestra (Chandos, ASC, Polyphonic)
- BBC Philharmonic studio recordings
- BBC Concert Orchestra studio recordings
- Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
Competition Juries
- World Music Contest, Kerkrade (2022, 2026)
- WASBE International Conductors Competition (2026)
Board member of the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, and Chair of the WASBE Conductor’s Forum
