Ivor Setterfield

Education

After beginning his musical studies with the violin, then as a boy treble at St Albans Cathedral, Setterfield studied at the University of York, graduating with a BA (Hons) in Music in 1998. He continued his studies at the Royal Academy of Music from 1988 to 1994, first on the opera course from 1988 to 1991 and then the conducting course from 1991 to 1994. He followed the conducting course with an Opera Conducting Scholarship at the London Royal Schools’ Vocal Faculty. He completed his studies with a master class with the great Russian pedagogue Ilya Musin and Valery Gergiev, in Sienna.

Recording

Setterfield conducts the New London Singers, and with them has recorded a number of CDs including Vivaldi Gloria recorded in 2008, Requiem, recorded in 2006, Martin & Pizzetti, recorded in 2003, Sweet was the Song: a collection of English music for Christmas, recorded in 2001 and Rachmaninov Vespers’ recorded in 2000.

Television

Setterfield has appeared in a number of TV shows. His 2006 documentary The Singing Estate, shown on the UK’s Channel 5, was nominated for the Rose d’Or award. In the 2008, on the BBC show Maestro, he mentored the DJ Goldie, who achieved second place, despite having come out on top in the judges ratings. In 2009, the BBC brought the pair together again for Classic Goldie. Setterfield again mentored Goldie, this time in the composition of a piece for the Family Prom. Setterfield also appeared on a number of other TV shows, including Richard and Judy, The Wright show and the One Show as well as 10 best Choral Masterpieces for BBC 4.