Charles Robert Hayden-Gilbert

 

Conducting the Mussorgsky Symphony Orchestra
in the Hermitage Theatre, St. Petersburg

Click here for details of Peter the Great Conducting Masterclass 2005

Biography of Charles Robert Hayden-Gilbert

Charles Robert Hayden-Gilbert was born in Birmingham, U.K. in 1946 and started his piano studies at the age of 3, violin at the age of 11, and voice at the age of 16, acquiring Absolute Pitch in the process. He performed a Mozart Piano Concerto at the age of 13, became the youngest ever member of the Royal Ballet School's Pool of Pianists, and at 18, was awarded a scholarship by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music to study Singing at the Royal College of Music.

He studied at the Royal College of Music, London, where his main studies were Piano and Voice (double first study) and Harmony and Counterpoint (second study), followed by post-graduate studies in education at Reading University.

Whilst at Reading University, he wrote the music to "Search For Santa" a children's musical which was produced at the King's Theatre in Portsmouth, UK, in November 1968, since which time it has been lost. He has since engaged in an exceptionally wide range of musical activities, as a professional singer, professional accompanist and continuo player, professional jazz pianist, director of orchestras and bands, producer of radio programmes and recordings, in addition to teaching in England, Hong Kong and Bangkok.

He is an Associate of the Royal College of Music, Graduate of the Royal Schools of Music, holds a Diploma in Education from Reading University and a Master of Arts in Education from Michigan State University. He is also a member of the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters as well as the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. He has a biographical record in the millennium edition of "Baron's Who's Who Of The World" and the "International Who's Who of Music and Musicians."

In June 2002, he retired from being Director of High School Instrumental Music at International School Bangkok, where he directed Beginning, Intermediate Band, Concert Band, Advanced Strings and the school's top Choir, Choral Ensemble (2000-1), in order to pursue professional music making. He also taught Music Technology and Composition and was advisor to ISB for Pianoforte, Strings, Wind Instruments and Chorus for the Interscholastic Association of South Asian Schools. In the 2000/2001 academic year, he was also Choral Director of the school's top performing choral group, for whom he arranged many choral pieces, opening four international conferences for the U.N. in Bangkok, which performances were accompanied by the String Ensemble. His compositions and arrangements are performed all over the world.

In July 2001, he attended an international conducting masterclass in St. Petersburg, where he studied the conducting style of Musin, and conducted the Mussorgsky Symphony Orchestra in Rossini's "La Centenerola" overture in the culminating concert. He attended the same masterclass in July 2002 and conducted the Hermitage Symphony Orchestra in J. Strauss's "Overture to "Die Fledermaus".

Compositions and arrangements (chronological):

Children's musical: "Search for Santa" (1968) (lost).

Brass Quintet: "Fanfare for Brass" (1983).

Big Band: "Butter Wouldn't Melt" (1984).

Wind Band: "Auf Der Jagd" Strauss (1996) arrangement.

SATB Chorus: "O my love" (1997).

SATB Chorus: "Silver" (1997).

Wind Band: "Im Krapfenvald" Strauss (1997) arrangement.

Wind Band: "Feuerfest" Strauss (1997) arrangement.

Flute, French Horn, Strings and SATB Chorus "When A Packet Hits A Pocket" (1998).

Wind Band: "Minuet" from "Fireworks Suite", Handel (1998) arrangement.

Wind Band: "Bando, Dai Ski Desu" (1998).

SATB Chorus: "How Should I Love Thee" (1999).

Wind Band: "Explosions Polka" Strauss (1999) arrangement.

SATB Chorus and Strings: "The Life That I Have" (1999).

Wind Band: "Bahn Frei Polka" Strauss (1999) arrangement.

Strings: Royal Thai Anthem (1999) arrangement.

SATB Chorus, Trumpet, Piano, Double Bass and Percussion: "The Peanut Vendor" (2000) arrangement.

Wind Band: "English Folk Song Suite, First Movement" (2000) arrangement.

SATB Chorus and Strings: "Hymn to the United Nations" (2000) arrangement.

Wind Band: "Banditen Galop" Strauss (2000) arrangement.

SATB Chorus and Strings: "Pratet Thai" (2000) arrangement.

SATB Chorus and Strings: "Peace On Earth" (2000) arrangement.

Wind Band: "La Rejouissance" from "Fireworks Suite", Handel (2000) arrangement.

Wind Band: "Sway" (2000) arrangement.

SATB Chorus and Strings: "Friends" (2001) arrangement.

SATB Chorus and Strings: "Mr. Postman" (2002) arrangement.

Strings: Jigs & Reels (2002) arrangement of Scottish Dance Tunes.

Wind Band: "English Folk Song Suite, Second Movement" (2002).

SATB Chorus and Strings: "It's So Hard To Say 'Goodbye'" (2002) arrangement.

SATB Chorus and Strings: "Peanuts" (2002) arrangement.

Compositions and arrangements (by genre):

Children's musical: "Search for Santa" (1968) (lost).

Brass Quintet: "Fanfare for Brass" (1983).

Big Band: "Butter Wouldn't Melt" (1984).

Wind Band: "Auf Der Jagd" Strauss (1996) arrangement.

Wind Band: "Im Krapfenvald" Strauss (1997) arrangement.

Wind Band: "Feuerfest" Strauss (1997) arrangement.

Wind Band: "Minuet" from "Fireworks Suite", Handel (1998) arrangement.

Wind Band: "Bando, Dai Ski Desu" (1998).

Wind Band: "Explosions Polka" Strauss (1999) arrangement.

Wind Band: "Bahn Frei Polka" Strauss (1999) arrangement.

Wind Band: "English Folk Song Suite, First Movement" (2000) arrangement.

Wind Band: "Banditen Galop" Strauss (2000) arrangement.

Wind Band: "La Rejouissance" from "Fireworks Suite", Handel (2000) arrangement.

Wind Band: "Sway" (2000) arrangement.

SATB Chorus: "O my love" (1997).

SATB Chorus: "Silver" (1997).

SATB Chorus: "How Should I Love Thee" (1999).

SATB Chorus and Flute, French Horn, Strings "When A Packet Hits A Pocket" (1998).

SATB Chorus, Trumpet, Piano, Double Bass and Percussion: "The Peanut Vendor" (2000) arrangement.

SATB Chorus and Strings: "The Life That I Have" (1999).

SATB Chorus and Strings: "Hymn to the United Nations" (2000) arrangement.

SATB Chorus and Strings: "Pratet Thai" (2000) arrangement.

SATB Chorus and Strings: "Peace On Earth" (2000) arrangement.

SATB Chorus and Strings: "Friends" (2001) arrangement.

SATB Chorus and Strings: "Mr. Postman" (2002) arrangement.

Wind Band: "English Folk Song Suite, Second Movement" (2002).

SATB Chorus and Strings: "It's So Hard To Say 'Goodbye'" (2002) arrangement.

SATB Chorus and Strings: "Peanuts" (2002) arrangement.

Strings: Royal Thai Anthem (1999) arrangement.

Strings: Jigs & Reels (2002) arrangement of Scottish Dance Tunes.

Charles is currently writing a series of interactive, tutorial CDs for beginning wind instrumentalists known as iBegin, the first four titles of which, Flute, Clarinet, Trumpet and Alto Saxophone are on sale at http://www.musicroom.com Go to the Musicroom site & then do a search for one of the iBegin titles, such as iBegin Flute, to find details of how to buy an iBegin CD.

To buy iBegin® in Australia, please contact Music Sales Pty. Ltd. Australia, 4th Floor, Lisgar House, 30-32, Carrington Street, Sydney, NSW 2000, Tel: 02-9299-8877, Fax: 02-9299-6564 or contact the National Sales Manager, Michael Phillips at michael.phillips@musicsales.com.au

Charles also works professionally as a conductor, pianist, accompanist, continuo, concert singer, and takes commissions for arranging and original compositions. If you would like to engage him or buy some of his compositions or arrangements, please send an e-mail to crhg@original-works.co.uk