Tag: Musical Director

Spring 2026

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Welcome to our new Musical Director, Ben Nicoll

We are delighted to welcome our new MD, Ben Nicoll, from January 2026.

Ben studied conducting at the University of Manchester with Rob Guy, where he was selected for the conducting programme and led various ensembles, masterclasses and two world premieres.

After graduating, he became the conducting scholar at the University of Warwick, studying with Suzzie Vango and Tom Newall, and regularly conducting the Chamber Choir, Chorus, Symphony Orchestra and Vox Ensemble at the Warwick Arts Centre and on tours to Manchester, Coventry, Lichfield, and Prague.

Ben is also Musical Director for the Poynton Gilbert and Sullivan Society, conducting productions of HMS Pinafore and Iolanthe. In September 2025, Ben became an Associate Choral Leader for the Manchester Choral Scholars (in partnership with St Martin-in-the-Fields) and conducted the Burford Orchestra for their autumn term. From January 2026, he can’t wait to get stuck into his new role as Musical Director for Di Voci.

Welcome to Emma Baker

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From September 2024, we welcome Emma Baker as our new musical director.

Emma Baker has a varied background as conductor, singer, and violist that come together to inform her approach to making music with a wide variety of ensembles.

In addition to her work with Di Voci, Emma serves as an alto choral scholar at Liverpool Cathedral and an assistant director for the Halle workplace choir programme.

Prior to moving to the UK, she worked as a freelance musician in the DC metropolitan area where she served as the conducting fellow for both Choralis and the DC Concert Orchestra Society as well as a director for the Arlington Children’s Chorus, the Chesapeake Youth Symphony Orchestra, and Sydenstricker United Methodist Church.

While she enjoys working with a range of different ensembles, Emma’s purpose in conducting remains consistent: to create an environment that allows for meaningful experiences for both the musicians and listeners alike.

She feels very fortunate to have been given the tools to pursue this goal through her mentorship from Simon Halsey, CBE, during her MA in Choral Conducting at the University of Birmingham, and the guidance of Katherine Murdock during her BM in Viola Performance at the University of Maryland.