Honorary President - Laurence Cummings

Laurence Cummings is one of Britain’s most exciting and versatile exponents of historical performance both as a conductor and a harpsichord player. He is currently Music Director of the Academy of Ancient Music and Orquestra Barroca Casa da Música in Porto, and he was Artistic Director of Internationale Händel-Festspiele Göttingen from 2011 to 2021. A noted authority on Handel and former Music Director of London Handel Festival, he is frequently praised for his performances in the opera house and on concert platforms, and is regularly invited to conduct both period and modern instrument orchestras worldwide. His recordings include discs with BIS, Sony BMG, Harmonia Mundi and Chandos, as well as a series of live opera and concert performances recorded at Göttingen International Handel Festival and released on Accent. He has also released numerous solo harpsichord recordings for Naxos. He was an organ scholar at Christ Church Oxford where he graduated with first class honours. Until 2012 he was Head of Historical Performance at RAM which led to both Baroque and Classical orchestras forming part of the established curriculum. He is now the William Crotch Professor of Historical Performance.