Composer named as Canterbury Festival Director

One of Scotland's foremost composers, ALASDAIR NICOLSON, has been appointed Director of Canterbury Festival to lead the organisation into its 40th year.

He will take up the post in December this year, succeeding the current Director, ROSIE TURNER, who is retiring after 20 years at the helm.

Nicolson is currently Director of the St Magnus International Festival in the Orkney Islands as well as being Artistic Director of his own ensemble The Assembly Project.

He has previously worked with the London Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Singers, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and the Trondheim Soloists and as Artistic Director of Bath International Music Festival, Sound Inventors, Northlands Festival and Platform Festival.

Nicolson said: “I’m deeply honoured to be joining the Canterbury Festival to play a part in shaping the future of this historic event and contributing to the cultural landscape of Kent. The City of Canterbury is a vibrant place full of history and I look forward to bringing my ideas and an exciting variety of performance and creativity to its stages.”

KEITH MANDER, Chair of Canterbury Festival, said: “We are delighted Alasdair has accepted our offer to lead the Canterbury Festival into the next phase of its development. He brings a wealth of experience which will bring new and exciting programmes that will continue to surprise and delight our audiences.”

ROSIE TURNER, who leaves Canterbury at the end of November, said: “I’m delighted to hand the Festival reins to Alasdair who is both a visionary programmer and an experienced Festival Director. I know he will preserve all that’s great about Canterbury Festival – especially our strong music tradition – while bringing lots of new energy and ideas. I will miss the Festival very much but retire knowing it’s in the best possible hands. Let the new adventures begin."