WHO WE ARE

Born and raised in London, Alex Mackinder graduated with an MMus in Orchestral Conducting (Distinction) from the Royal College of Music where he studied under Toby Purser, Peter Stark and Howard Williams. He has participated in masterclasses led by Jac van Steen, Martyn Brabbins, Vasily Petrenko and Rüdiger Bohn, and has received tuition and advice from other eminent conductors including Andrew Davies, Ryan Bancroft, Sakari Oramo, Colin Metters, Ben Palmer, Timothy Burke and Adrian Brown. Highlights whilst at the Royal College of Music included the world premiere of Anian Wiedner’s Violin Concerto, a showcase of Japanese classical music, the first performance of Bax’s Christmas Eve anywhere in the world in over eight years and conducting the offstage brass for Antonio Pappano in Mahler’s Symphony No. 1. He previously received an MA in Classics (Distinction) at Durham University, where he won the student-peer-chosen Lifetime Achievement in Music and Theatre Award.

In April 2025, Alex received Joint-First Prize at the 5th Citta di Brescia-Giancarlo Facchinetti Conducting Competition, his very first international competition appearance. Forthcoming engagements include international debuts with the Hradec Králové Philarmonic (Czech Republic), Łomża Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra (Poland) and I Solisti Aquilani, L'Aquila (Italy), as well as guaranteed entry into the 2026 Guido Cantelli Conducting Competition. Recent engagements include performances with the Ulster Orchestra, Orion Orchestra, Kidbrooke Park Festival Orchestra and at the Seaford Music Festival, as well as assisting Ryan Bancroft and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales in works by Schumann and Mahler. He is the Founder and Artistic Director of The Sirius Orchestra, an orchestra that seeks to bring together students from all of London’s major music conservatoires and provide extra-curricular music-making opportunities to assist their transition into the professional sphere. Past concerts with the orchestra have featured Haydn’s The Creation, Strauss’ Metamorphosen, Beamish’s Saxophone Concerto No. 2 and Sibelius’ Symphony No. 2, with forthcoming performances including music by Brahms, Atterberg and Janáček.

A recipient of the prestigious Vice-Chancellor’s Music Scholarship upon entry to Durham University, Alex was appointed as Conductor of the Durham University Orchestral Society’s Symphony Orchestra for three successive seasons. Whilst under his direction, notable concerts included taking part in The Imperial War Museum’s Somme100FILM project, Mahler’s Symphony No. 5, and a programme commemorating the centenary of Hubert Parry’s death featuring baritone Sir Thomas Allen, performed in the presence of His Majesty King Charles III (the then Prince of Wales). Elsewhere, he has accumulated substantial experience working with amateur ensembles, including the Salomon Orchestra, Bristol Concert Orchestra, Reading Symphony Orchestra, Camden Symphony Orchestra, Rehearsal Orchestra, Orpington Symphony Orchestra and Enfield Chamber Orchestra. Deeply passionate about youth music and educating young musicians, Alex has been Principal Conductor of Pigott’s Junior Music Camp for the last four years, most recently performing Saint-Saëns’ Symphony No. 3 and Marquez’s Danzon No. 2 for their 50th Anniversary.

Alex has been a Bass section member of the London Symphony Chorus since 2019 and has performed under the baton of Antonio Pappano, Sir Simon Rattle, Francois-Xavier Roth, Michael Tilson-Thomas, Kazuki Yamada, Lionel Sow and Simon Halsey. His favourite animal is the otter and will be more than happy to talk about them at length to anyone who will listen!