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The English conductor, flautist, violist and lecturer, Geoffrey Spratt, attended the Watford Boys' Grammar School before spending 6 years at the University of Bristol (Bachelor of Arts degre with Honours in 1973; PhD in 1980).
Geoffrey Spratt was part-time tutor at Open University (1973-1976); Bristol Universiry (1974-1976); lecturer of music at University College Cork (UCC), Ireland from 1976. He was a professional flautist & viola player as well as a conductor with a wide experience of choral, operatic & orchestral conducting before moving to Ireland in 1976; since then he has combined a career in music education with being one of the most sought-after conductors in the country and making a significant input to various bodies working to further the cause of music in Ireland. Through his work as Chairman (1984-2006) of Cumann Náisiúnta na gCór (which he co-founded in 1980), he has done much to promote the cause of choral singing in Ireland.
In 1982 Geoffrey Spratt established CNC’s Annual Summer School for Choral Conductors and taught the advanced class until 2005. More recently he has taught conducting for a variety of course providers and given master-classes for many choirs. He was Director (1987-1993) of the Cork International Choral Festival (succeeding Aloys Fleischmann) and has been Chairman of the Cork Orchestral Society since 1992. As a Lecturer in UCC’s Music Department (1976-1992), he founded the UCC Choir & Orchestra (1976), conducted the UCC Choral Society (1978-1987), and - with Aiveen Kearney - established the Irish Youth Choir in 1982 (Conductor, 1982-2007).
Following his appointment as Director of the Cork School of Music in 1992, Geoffrey Spratt founded the Fleischmann Choir (1992-) and Canticum Novum (1998-). All these ensembles have achieved recognition throughout Ireland and abroad for their concerts, broadcasts & competitive festival appearances. Since 1980 he has appeared regularly as a guest conductor with most of the professional orchestras & choirs in Ireland, particularly Dublin’s Orchestra of St Cecilia. (Apart from performances of J.S. Bach’s cantatas, perhaps the highlight of his Orchestra of St Cecilia work has been W.A. Mozart’s complete Piano Concertos (Hugh Tinney, NCH, 1996-1998). He was conductor of Madrigal ’75 (1985-1997), the Galway Baroque Singers & Orchestra (1983-1992), and a guest conductor throughout Europe & USA. |
