Tom Hammond is Artistic Director and one of the founding members of sound collective. Tom was recently chosen by Finnish Maestro Esa-Pekka Salonen as one of only twenty conductors worldwide to participate in the Sibelius International Conductor’s Competition in Helsinki , offering the opportunity to work with the Finnish Radio Symphony and Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestras and conducting some of the most challenging works in the repertoire.
Hammond has drawn on his experience as a professional performer of symphonic, chamber and early music to win admiration from composers, critics and the public. World Premieres include Vagn Holmboe’s Prelude to a Living Stone and Matthew Taylor’s Symphony No. 3. Tom also gave the UK Premiere of JPE Hartmann’s Overture to Yrsa and only the second UK performance of Sibelius’ Suite for Violin & Strings with soloist Mia Cooper.
Tom’s passion for Scandinavian and Nordic music led to his Artistic Directorship of the 1997 London/Danish Music Festival during which he conducted a performance of Carl Nielsen’s Concerto for Violin & Orchestra with the Norwegian soloist Marianne Thorsen, leader of the Nash Ensemble. Tom has also worked for the Finnish Institute to promote collaborative projects between British and Finnish Musicians. Between 1998 and 2001 Tom was Assistant Conductor of Bristol’s Brunel Ensemble and has been delighted to be asked to conduct both the Sinfonia and Symphony Orchestras at TCM during the 2004-05 seasons.
In 2000 Tom was Musical Director for the ENO/Bayliss Programme/1stFramework production of Weill’s Threepenny Opera with performances given across London and in Berlin ’s UFA-Fabrik and in conjunction with the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
Tom also collaborates with non-professional ensembles including the City of Southampton Orchestra , the orchestra and choir of the London School of Economics and University ensembles such as the Oxford University Orchestra and Royal Holloway, University of London .
