Former John Kyrle High School student, Christopher Petrie is carving out a highly successful career as a conductor and as the Artistic Director of an orchestra he founded.

This year his orchestra, the Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra of London is staging the inaugural Greenwich Mozart Festival. And it has caught the attention of the BBC, who will be broadcasting some of the festival.

Christopher has worked with some of Europe’s most exciting ensembles including the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Vienna Tonkünstler Orchestra, Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra, Oltenia Filarmonica (Romania) and London Sinfonietta.

His musical career began in Ross when he studied music A level at JKHS and took part in local musical choirs and Herefordshire orchestral ensembles including the Herefordshire Youth Orchestra.

The Greenwich Mozart Festival will feature five concerts, for each of the concerts Christopher has selected a varied programme, from chamber music to orchestral music, with music by much-loved composers including Mozart, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Grieg, Elgar as well as cutting edge contemporary works.

The Greenwich Mozart Festival will take place in the atmospheric setting of St Alfege Church until July 22nd. This follows two successful concerts in Greenwich last summer with near capacity audience.

Currently Christopher is also working on a commission for an opera for his German patron in Bonn, Germany.

Andrew Keener, an independent record producer described the orchestra. He said: “What a super outfit the PCOL and its conductor is! Talented young conductors aren’t thin on the ground, but Chris Petrie has a larger range than most. As well as his intelligence on the rostrum, his gifts as a composer and imagination and approachability as an entrepreneur ensure that his orchestra presents programmes and events that are much above the predictable run. Follow them.”

The Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra of London was founded in 2013 to provide London’s leading young professionals with the forum to develop a new voice. PCOL musicians regularly perform within all the prevailing professional orchestras in London as well as many throughout the UK.

For further information about PCOL visit: www.london-orchestra.com