JUSTIN BINDLEY – CONDUCTOR
BIOGRAPHY 2025
Justin was born in Farnworth and studied singing with John Cameron. He was the joint recipient of the Novello Oratorio Scholarship in 1986 and made his professional debut as Masetto in Don Giovanni for British Youth Opera in 1987. In an operatic career spanning 30 years he sang many diverse roles from Britten to Verdi, appearing with many companies including English National Opera, Scottish Opera,Opera North, English Bach Festival, New D’Oyly Carte Opera, Carl Rosa Opera, London Opera Players and at the Royal Opera House.
His final appearance in opera was as Bentoit/Alcindoro (La Boheme – Puccini) for Hertitage Opera in 2016. He was also active as an oratorio soloist, highlights of which include Walton’s Belshazzars Feast in the presence of Lady Walton at the Blackheath Concert Hall, Requiem (Durufle) for London Choral Society conducted by Ron Corp, Te Deum Dvorak for the Dulwich Festival and in 2014 The Seasons (Haydn) for Richmond Choral Society. He made several BBC Proms appearances, many CD and DVD recordings and he sang abroad in Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Holland, Belgium, France and South Africa.
He had a teaching practise for many years in London and Cheltenham, but from 2012 has concentrated on Music Direction. He had previously been Music Director of The New Savoyards (1985 – 1990) and Voices2Go (2005 – 2012) – which included conducting a recording of the world premiere of Liz Uppham’s Carmelite Mass in 2011 and “Sing out, Angels” by Alan Bullard.
In 2013 he was appointed Music Director of the newly formed Salveo Singers of London for the NHS, a post he held for a year. In 2014 he became Music Director of Ormond Opera, which included a series of Puccini Concerts and The Pirates of Penzance (with full orchestra).
After moving to Wiltshire in 2016 he was appointed Music Director of Kennet Opera. His first season in 2017 included a series of Puccini Concerts and full productions of Dido & Aeneas and The Zoo (Sullivan).
In 2019 he conducted an award winning new production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute and Amahl and the Night Visitors in 2020. (Menotti).
Since moving to Norfolk in 2021 he was appointed Music Director of Harleston Choral Society, for whom he has conducted Faure Requiem , Ronald Corp Christmas Mass in 2022, Haydn Stabat Mater and Vivaldi Gloria in 2023 ,Dvorak Mass in D , Saint Saens Requiem and Haydn Missa Sancti Nicolai in 2024. He also conducted Bungay Voices Christmas concert in 2022 (including Bob Chilcott’s On Christmas Night) and several come and sing days in Suffolk and Norfolk. Recently he concducted Byrd to Britten and Haydn Little Organ Mass for Voices2Go Chamber Choir. Since 2024 he has been Music Director of the Hethersett Singers.
Justin was recently appointed Music Director of Wymondham Choral Society and has just conducted Cherubini Requiem , having previously conducted Poulenc Gloria, Vivaldi Magnificat, Cecilia McDowall Christus Natus Est and Ronald Corp Christmas Mass last December. Future engagments include Paul Carr Stabat Mater and Matthew Coleridge Requiem for Wymondham Choral Society and for Harleston Choral Society Handel Messiah in December 2025 (including a come and sing day this August).