Belfast born Christopher Bell is the Artistic Director of the National Youth Choir of Scotland. Alongside that he currently holds posts as Chorus Director of the Grant Park Chorus, Chicago, USA, Chorusmaster of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra Junior Chorus, the Phil Youth Choir in Belfast and the Edinburgh Festival Chorus. In 2009 he became Associate Conductor of Ulster Orchestra.
Christopher Bell was educated at Edinburgh University and held his first post as Associate Conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra between 1989 and 1991. Since then he has worked with many of the major orchestras in the UK and Eire, including the Royal Philharmonic, Royal Scottish National, BBC Scottish Symphony, Ulster, Scottish Chamber, City of London Sinfonia, London Concert, RTE National Symphony, RTE Concert and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestras.
Christopher Bell enjoys working with young people. Before his current posts with the RSNO and NYCoS, for six years he directed the TOTAL Aberdeen Youth Choir, undertaking touring and recordings with them as well as many concerts in the North East of Scotland. He was the first Artistic Director of the Ulster Youth Choir between 1999 and 2004, a group which he developed and moulded into a critically acclaimed ensemble. Between 2001 and 2008 he was Artistic Director of the highly successful Children's Classic Concerts series.
It was his work as Chorusmaster of the RSNO Chorus between 1989 and 2001 alongside the time with the Aberdeen Youth Choir which led Christopher to form the National Youth Choir of Scotland in 1996 to encourage young singers to develop their skills. Since then the organisation has grown, not only as a choral group with four national choirs and area choirs across Scotland, but as a provider of educational training and resources for teachers and choir directors.
For his work with singers, and particularly his encouragement of young singers in Scotland, Christopher Bell was awarded a Scotsman of the Year 2001 award for Creative Talent. In 2003, he was awarded the Charles Groves Prize for his contribution to cultural life in Scotland and the rest of the UK. In 2009 he was awarded an Honorary Masters Degree from the Open University for Services to the Arts. In 2012 he received an Honorary Doctorate of Music from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in recognition of his contribution to the performing arts in Scotland and in 2013 he was awarded the Michael Korn Founders Award for the Development of the Choral Art in recognition of his work with the Grant Park Chorus in Chicago.
Christopher Bell was educated at Edinburgh University and held his first post as Associate Conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra between 1989 and 1991. Since then he has worked with many of the major orchestras in the UK and Eire, including the Royal Philharmonic, Royal Scottish National, BBC Scottish Symphony, Ulster, Scottish Chamber, City of London Sinfonia, London Concert, RTE National Symphony, RTE Concert and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestras.
Christopher Bell enjoys working with young people. Before his current posts with the RSNO and NYCoS, for six years he directed the TOTAL Aberdeen Youth Choir, undertaking touring and recordings with them as well as many concerts in the North East of Scotland. He was the first Artistic Director of the Ulster Youth Choir between 1999 and 2004, a group which he developed and moulded into a critically acclaimed ensemble. Between 2001 and 2008 he was Artistic Director of the highly successful Children's Classic Concerts series.
It was his work as Chorusmaster of the RSNO Chorus between 1989 and 2001 alongside the time with the Aberdeen Youth Choir which led Christopher to form the National Youth Choir of Scotland in 1996 to encourage young singers to develop their skills. Since then the organisation has grown, not only as a choral group with four national choirs and area choirs across Scotland, but as a provider of educational training and resources for teachers and choir directors.
For his work with singers, and particularly his encouragement of young singers in Scotland, Christopher Bell was awarded a Scotsman of the Year 2001 award for Creative Talent. In 2003, he was awarded the Charles Groves Prize for his contribution to cultural life in Scotland and the rest of the UK. In 2009 he was awarded an Honorary Masters Degree from the Open University for Services to the Arts. In 2012 he received an Honorary Doctorate of Music from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in recognition of his contribution to the performing arts in Scotland and in 2013 he was awarded the Michael Korn Founders Award for the Development of the Choral Art in recognition of his work with the Grant Park Chorus in Chicago.
