Thomas Mottershead is a conductor, tenor and pianist based in South Wales, hailing from Colchester, Essex. Thomas has a BMus (First Class with Honours) from Cardiff University, an MMus (Distinction) in Choral Conducting from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (RWCMD) and a PGCE in Secondary Music from the University of Cambridge. 

Thomas is the Assistant Chorus Master of the Welsh National Youth Opera, as well as Artistic Director of Prometheus Consort and Assistant Musical Director of Cardiff Bach Choir. He is also the Co-Founder and Co-Musical Director of Cardiff Opera and, in Summer 2021, conducted three sold-out performances of Mozart’s ‘Le nozze di Figaro’. He will be conducting Verdi’s ‘Macbeth’ in Autumn 2022. Previous positions include Director of Music in St. Mary’s Parish Church, Whitchurch; Chorus Manager and Assistant Chorus Master of the Cardiff University Symphony Chorus; and Musical Director of the Welsh Hospital Choir (South Glamorgan), with whom he prepared for charity Christmas concert in St. David’s Hall. In Spring 2017, the opportunity arose to study in America at the University of New Hampshire, which included an opera performance and an international premiere of his own compositions, conducted by Thomas himself. 

As a conductor, Thomas has much experience with both orchestras and choirs and has been conducting since the age of 15. He has studied with many conductors including Simon Halsey, Neil Ferris, Alice Farnham, Adrian Partington and Camilo Santostefano. He has been fortunate himself to have been conducted by some of the most well-renowned conductors, such as Sakari Oramo, Xian Zhang, Tadaaki Otaka, Mark Wigglesworth and Sir Andrew Davis. Whilst at university, Thomas received the Fujisawa Male Voice Choir Award for Choral Conducting (RWCMD) – for two consecutive years – and the Sir Geraint Evans Award for highest mark in a voice recital (Cardiff University). 

As a singer, Thomas performs as a soloist for many concerts, including Lennox Berkeley’s ‘Stabat Mater’, Stainer’s ‘Crucifixion’, Mozart’s ‘Mass in C Major (“Coronation”) and more. He is a member of Llandaff Cathedral Choir and has performed for live broadcasts such as Morning Worship on BBC Radio 4 and the National Remembrance Service on BBC One Wales. Je has also been a Lay Clerk at St. Edmundsbury Cathedral and, whilst a student in Cardiff, held a bursary at the BBC National Chorus of Wales, performing at the BBC Proms on several occasions. Thomas also frequents the stage - he has performed the roles of Khashoggi in ‘We Will Rock You!’ and Anthony in Stephen Sondheim’s ‘Sweeney Todd’, winning the Glamorgan Drama League award for “Best Performance in a Musical 2020” for the latter. 

Thomas is delighted to be joining The Harry Ensemble as their new Assistant Conductor for the upcoming seasons.