David Lawrence is one of the UK’s most versatile conductors, working with symphony orchestras and choruses of all genres. In 2019 he received an Honorary Award from the Royal Academy of Music in recognition of his contribution to the music profession, and is thrilled that this is his 27th year conducting Young Voices!
David’s work has taken him to Singapore, Colombia, Canada, India, the USA, the UAE, throughout Europe, and has now visited Australia 17 times. He has conducted Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in Queensland, Orff’s ‘Carmina Burana' in Dubai, and the third ever performance of Verdi’s Requiem in Tasmania.
As Principal Conductor of the Basel Proms Chorus in Switzerland, he recently conducted 36,000 people singing ‘Waterloo’ in the Eurovision Song Contest Final!
Craig McLeish was the first boy soprano to sing a solo at the St Paul’s Cathedral Annual Messiah back in 1976. He was head chorister at the Queen’s Silver Jubilee service in 1977. The same year his proudest moment as a choirboy was hitting a four to win back the coveted Jackson Challenge Trophy against arch-rivals Westminster Abbey.
In the late 80s and early 90s, Craig played bass in a band called Fat and Frantic who were the first unsigned band to appear on Going Live with Phillip Schofield and Sarah Greene. They nearly made the Top 100 twice with the pop skiffle anthem "Last Night My Wife Hoovered My Head". They also played the Reading Festival and once supported Squeeze.
Craig chooses and arranges all the music for the Young Voices concerts and the highlight of his career is his annual thrill, seeing his ideas come to fruition and watching the children getting excited about all genres of music. He hopes to continue this for many years to come!
Andy Instone has spent 2 decades igniting global audiences and creating unforgettable experiences on stages from Glastonbury to the Royal Variety Performance. He's worked his magic with legends like Sir Richard Branson and Sean Paul, directed three world records, and his work has been seen by a collective 1.36 billion people!
But his mission goes way beyond the stage. He’s the creative force behind the world's first accredited Street Dance Teaching Diploma, reaching over 2 million people with his educational work. He's now poured that energy into Resilience Reaps Rewards, a revolutionary Inset program for schools, designed to empower teachers and leaders to create happy, high-performing cultures and equip today's youth to thrive in a fast-paced world.
Andy is the proud holder of three Blue Peter badges.