Our conductors
The Northern Baroque Orchestra has both regular and guest conductors. Our regular conductors each conduct one concert per year, while guest conductors are asked to conduct individual concerts.
Michael Dow: regular conductor (summer concerts), 2004-present
Michael read music at Christ’s College, Cambridge. He held a choral scholarship during this time, regularly appearing as a bass soloist, and took part in several overseas concert tours, recordings and broadcasts. He was Principal Conductor of the Cambridge University Symphony Orchestra for three years and directed several Cambridge University shows. He was then appointed as Assistant Director of Music at Caterham School, Surrey where he conducted a range of orchestras and choirs both inside and outside school. Whilst at Caterham he directed performances of a number of large-scale choral works.
In September 2001 Michael became a music teacher at Chetham’s School of Music, where his conducting work again centred largely on choral repertoire. In 2003 he took up the post of Musical Director of Rochdale Youth Orchestra. He has subsequently further pursued his interest in conducting with various freelance concerts, including several appearances with the Northern Baroque Orchestra since June 2004 and regular work with the choir of St. James and Emmanuel, Didsbury.
Michael was appointed as Director of Music at Stockport Grammar School from September 2005. He has also overseen the recording and production of the school’s inaugural CD featuring leading ensembles within the school and undertaken broadcasts on BBC radio with the school chamber choir. Michael was Musical Director of Marple Choral Society for several years, was recently appointed as Director of Music at St. Mary’s Church, Bowden and also sings regularly as a bass for the BBC Daily Service Singers.
Paul Witkiewicz: regular conductor (winter concerts), 2011-present
Paul began studying conducting when he was 14 under the guidance of his piano teacher, Michael Ward. His talent was soon supported further when, a year later, he was invited to a masterclass with Adrian Leaper and the Orchestra of the Mill. Studies continued with George Hurst and Robert Houlihan (Canford Summer School of Music) and then, whilst studying music at Nottingham University, with Jonathan Tilbrook. During his three years at Nottingham, he was a regular conductor of the Sinfonia, Philharmonia and Wind Band. In his final year he was also invited to conduct the Leicester University Symphony Orchestra.
After graduating, Paul enjoyed working with young musicians: from 1998 to 2002, he was Music Director of Sheffield Youth Orchestra, and between 2000 and 2017 he was in charge of Trafford Youth Philharmonic Orchestra. His work with young players was recognized by being awarded the Salvesen Baton from the National Association of Youth Orchestras and also winning the British Reserve Insurance conducting competition.
Paul has worked with various ensembles around the North West, including Chester Philharmonic, Wilmslow Symphony Orchestra and Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra. His main association, though, is with Bolton Symphony Orchestra, with whom he has been a member since 1998. He first conducted the orchestra in 2001 and became its Associate Artistic Director in 2019.
In addition to orchestral conducting, Paul has also worked with various vocal groups: Music Director of Standish Choral Society (1996–2000), MD of Opera 74 (2008–2012), MD of Parkside Colliery Male Voice Choir (2012–present), and MD of Fleetwood and District Choral Society (September 2024–present).
Simon Robertshaw: former regular conductor (winter concerts), 2006-2014
Simon Robertshaw was born in Aberdeen, Scotland in 1971. He learnt to play the violin at the age of 6 in Nairobi, Kenya and upon returning to the UK was a member of the National Children’s Orchestra of Great Britain, the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, the Gustav Mahler Jugend Orchester of Vienna, and a regional finalist in the Young Musician of the Year in 1987.
He graduated from the RNCM in 1992 having studied with Lydia Mordkovitch, and joined the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra for four years, returning to complete his postgraduate studies at the Vienna Conservatoire studying under Prof. Florian Zwiauer, leader of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. This followed with a period of trials with British orchestras, including the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and The Hallé, eventually becoming a member of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra in 2002.
Having a passion for both film and music, he retrained at the BBC and became a PSC (news) cameraman for six months for the regional news and current affairs programme, North West Tonight, on a BBC placement in 2010. As part of his remit he now directs multi cameras for the Philharmonic and has made many films for them, including one that was broadcast on national television during a live Prom at the Albert Hall in July 2011.
In February 2015, Simon was invited to participate in an international conducting masterclass at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, conducting Mahler’s Symphony no. 1 and Mozart’s Serenade in C minor, and will conduct the Blackburn Symphony Orchestra for their concert in autumn 2015.
Adam Kornas: guest conductor (winter 2016)
Adam began studying Violin at Chetham's School of Music before receiving first class honours for his undergraduate degree in Composition at the Royal College of Music, London. Adam recently graduated from his Masters degree in Conducting at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) with a first for Performance as well as the Robert Newwit Prize for conducting.
Apart from orchestral and operatic projects within RNCM, Adam conducted Sir Harrison Birtwhistle's Upon All The Notes in the Wigmore Hall, the Stockport Symphony Orchestra in Stockport Town Hall, and the Manchester Camerata in their Chester Music Festival.
As a composer Adam has written works for the Archos String Quartet, the Liverpool Mozart Orchestra, and two one-act ballets for KSDance. He is about to embark upon writing his first violin concerto. Most recently Adam has been gaining conducting experience with orchestras in the North West, including Chester Philharmonic, Crosby Symphony and Liverpool Mozart Orchestra.