Photo: Robert Workman

Photo: Robert Workman

British conductor Timothy Henty has developed a strong international reputation both in the theatre and on the concert platform.

Orchestras

he has conducted include: the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, London Mozart Players, Malmö SymfoniOrkester, Münchner Symphoniker, Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonieorchester Basel, Stavanger Symfoniorkester, Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, the Ulster Orchestra and the WDR Funkhausorchester.

Opera

and operetta credits include: Madama Butterfly (Nederlandse Reisopera), Iolanthe (English National Opera), Mike Leigh's The Pirates of Penzance (ENO/Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg/Théâtre de Caen), Ruddigore (Opera North), L'elisir d'amore (Dorset Opera Festival), The Mikado (Raymond Gubbay at the Royal Festival, Birmingham Symphony and Bridgewater Halls), HMS Pinafore (Carl Rosa Opera), Hip-Hip! Horatio (Jubilee Opera, Aldeburgh), La Traviata (King's Theatre), A Man of Feeling (Arcola), FlorodoraOur Miss Gibbs (Finborough), Trial by JuryHMS PinaforeThe Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado at the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival.

  • Timothy is known across the world for his performances of films ‘live to projection’. His repertoire embraces Hollywood blockbusters, classic musicals, silent film, European and World Cinema.

    He has enjoyed a particularly close relationship with CineConcerts since 2017, for whom he has conducted the Harry Potter Film Concert SeriesGladiator in Concert, The Godfather: Live and Star Trek: The Ultimate Voyage.

    Further credits include: Baahubali: The Beginning (Avex), Pirates of the Caribbean Concert Series (Disney), Home Alone, Singin’ in the Rain (IMG), Ghostbusters: Live, The Snowman (Schirmer Theatrical), Os der lever (Musikkens Hus), Brief Encounter (Cork Film Festival) and Carl Davis’ score to Safety Last!

    Performances of games music includes RuneScape (Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra) and Little Orpheus (London Mozart Players). In 2015, Timothy acted as rehearsal conductor for the world premiere of Titanic: Live in the presence of its late composer, James Horner.

  • He has conducted performances for soloists and opera singers including Leonardo Capalbo, Maxim Vengerov, Wayne Marshall, Shlomo Mintz, Joan Rodgers and Roderick Williams.

    Commercial artists he has conducted for include: Alfie Boe, Tony Hadley, Claire Martin, Gabrielle, Max Mutzke and, on his 2012 New Year’s Eve performance in Dublin, Michel Legrand.

  • He conducted the soundtracks to the films The Goodbye Plane and Little Ashes, and his television appearances include The One ShowThe Andrew Marr Show (BBC) and Gilbert and Sullivan - A Motley Pair (SkyArts).

  • He began his career as a Guest Conductor of The Royal Ballet at Covent Garden, before conducting productions for Dutch National Ballet, English National Ballet, Scottish Ballet, Northern Ballet, Ballett Basel, Skånes Dansteater and Matthew Bourne's New Adventures.

  • In 2008, he collaborated with Anthony Baker to create a new performing version of Gilbert and Sullivan's lost opera Thespis, which received wide critical praise, and which has now enjoyed several productions internationally to date.

    Please see the dedicated Thespis page for more information.

  • During the Lockdown of 2020, Timothy began an extensive online relationship with the London Mozart Players, presenting, directing, editing and producing several films and documentaries. These include The Grounded Conductor - a series exploring the practical craft of conducting - and a remote, locked down performance of Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf, which has had over 285,000 views on YouTube as of December 2023.

He has written articles that have been published by journals including Musical Opinion and has sat on the jury for the inaugural (and a subsequent) ESB Feis Ceoil/RTÉ Conducting Competition. In 2017 he conducted the finals of the Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition.

Born in Kent, Timothy Henty won a Foundation Scholarship to the Royal College of Music, where he studied with Neil Thomson and won the Tagore Gold Medal: the RCM's highest award for its most outstanding student, presented to him by the then HRH Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales.

  • As an arranger and orchestrator, he has produced work for The Philharmonia Orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Albert's Band at the Royal Albert Hall, The Elastic Band, Jubilee Opera and other clients, as well as being known for his work on Thespis. Timothy arranged, orchestrated, musically supervised and conducted Leonard Whiting's musical The Angel, choreographed by Wayne Sleep.

    “On numerous occasions I’ve asked Tim to arrange or compose themed pieces for my children’s concerts. His work contains the perfect ingredients for such events. They are attractive, original, funny, energised, difficult enough to keep the professional musicians on their toes and they always receive rapturous applause from both kids and parents. His works have been performed by the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Elastic Band and Albert’s Band (outreach ensemble for the Royal Albert Hall) under my direction.

    Kevin Hathway: Philharmonia Orchestra Percussionist, Animateur, GSMD percussion professor and head of Brass, Percussion, Harp and Voice at the Purcell School. March 2017

    Jubilee’s Hip-Hip! Horatio was out of this world. The arrangement, for a small orchestra (virtually a mixed quintet), by conductor Timothy Henty, seemed to yield every sonority under the sun, with adept flute, piccolo and horn supplying much appropriate colouring. The ensemble was first-rate, but more than that: Henty’s lucid instrumentation revealed Hurd’s music as far cleverer than one imagined.

    Roderick Dunnett. Opera, 2013

    What is not fully realised is how brilliantly these cheerfully irreverent works translate to the stage, given (as here) a suitably precocious cast, plus captivating design and costumes. An intelligent orchestration...was supplied, with much flair, by Jubilee’s enabling conductor, Timothy Henty, who with just five players elicited subtle combinations worthy of a full orchestra.

    — Church Times, 2013

  • Following on from his work on Thespis, Timothy is known for providing new editions of several items from the Savoy canon. In 2012, conductor John Wilson invited him to create a new performing edition of The Yeomen of the Guard. Timothy used the original manuscript, held at the Royal College of Music, as the principal source material. The score has been presented with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and Philharmonia Orchestras, and at the 2012 BBC Proms, conducted by Jane Glover. Contact Timothy for more information about his editions.

  • Timothy originally studied timpani and percussion as a Foundation Scholar of the Royal College of Music with Kevin Hathway, Michael Skinner, Andrew Smith. Graduating with a First Class degree, he was the recipient of the Allianz Cornhill Senior Percussion Prize. Additionally, he studied piano with Nigel Clayton, Drum Kit with Ralph Salmins, jazz vibraphone with Anthony Kerr and composition for screen with Miguel Mera. After graduating, he spent some time as a freelance percussionist, working with ensembles including the John Wilson Orchestra.

    Timothy's work as an educator included a diverse peripatetic percussion and piano teaching practice in both state and private schools. In addition, he supported schools by devising his own curricular and extra curricular programmes, including 'drum circles' for primary children, percussion ensembles for secondary schools, GCSE Composition Workshops and A Level lectures on repertoire and analysis. He is particularly passionate about music in schools.

    For seven years, he sat on the board of examiners for Trinity College London.