Mark Eager (born 17 March) is a London born conductor and former BBC National Orchestra of Wales Principal Trombone. He lives in Chelsea and Dorset, United Kingdom.

Biography edit

Eager graduated from the Royal Academy of Music (1984), with Dip.RAM. He freelanced with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, London Concert Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra, Royal Ballet Sinfonia and others until joining the BBC National Orchestra of Wales as Principal Trombone (1993–2006).[1] He undertook much concerto work until 2006 when the Trombone Concerto 2004 (commissioned by the BBC) written for him by Alun Hoddinott caused serious muscle damage, ending his playing career.

In 1984 he was awarded the Silver Medal from the Worshipful Company of Musicians of London and in 1998 Awarded Orchestral Recognition Award by the International Trombone Association, along with BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Christian Lindberg.[2] In 2004 he was made an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM).[3]

BBC National Orchestra of Wales edit

During his years with BBC NOW, Eager performed and premiered several concerti for trombone and orchestra including:

Conducting career edit

In 2005 Eager was awarded a scholarship to the Orkney Conducting course with Martyn Brabbins, which brought him into a conducting career.[6] He is currently:

Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama edit

Eager is a conductor at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Appointed 1994.

Trinity College London edit

Eager is an advisor, clinician and senior music examiner for Trinity College London and was appointed 2005.

Magazine articles edit

2006 – Eager was the subject of a major feature in Classical Music Magazine.[9]

2010 – The International Trombone Association produced a CD of four trombone concerti performed by Eager and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales including the world premieres of John Pickard 'The Spindle of Necessity' 1998, Alun Hoddinott 'Concerto' 2004 and the premier recording of Jean Françaix 'Concerto for Trombone and Ten Winds' 1995. Internationally distributed as a complimentary disc with the ITA magazine.

References edit

  1. ^ "About the BTS". British Trombone Society.
  2. ^ "Orchestra Recognition Award Winners". ita-web.org. Archived from the original on 26 September 2011. Retrieved 24 February 2014.
  3. ^ Unknown, "Biography". British Trombone Society, 2006. Retrieved 10.02.2011
  4. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 3 October 2011. Retrieved 19 February 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) The Spindle of Necessity programme notes
  5. ^ Evans, Rian (2 June 2004). "Llewellyn and BBCCOW/ Partington, St David's festival, Pembrokeshire". the Guardian. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
  6. ^ Huges, Glyn. Starting Over. Classical Music Magazine, 2006.
  7. ^ Karen Price (25 September 2009). "Sinfonia small but perfectly formed to fill a musical gap". walesonline.
  8. ^ "BBC NEWS - UK - Wales - Orchestra tunes up to go it alone". 11 October 2009.
  9. ^ "Starting Over". Classical Music Magazine, 2006. Retrieved 10 February 2011.

External links edit