MICHAEL NEWNHAM CONDUCTOR A native of Hamilton, Michael Newnham pursued his musical education at the Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw, the Indiana University School of Music, and the University of Toronto. While still a student, he became a member of the Conducting Staff of the Warsaw Chamber Opera, leading performances of Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro’, “Die Zauberfloete” and “Mitridate”, as well as “Il Matrimonio Segreto” of D. Cimarosa to great critical acclaim.

Michael Newnham is entering his sixth season as Music Director of the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra. Under his leadership, the orchestra has been experiencing a period of unprecedented artistic growth and has reached a record-breaking 74% subscription base. Along with his duties with the PSO, Michael is also Music Director of the Kawartha and Niagara Youth Orchestras, and is a faculty member of Music at Port Milford. Michael has recently been Music Director for highly acclaimed performances of R. Murray Schafer’s “Patria: The Enchanted Forest” and has conducted a special gala memorial concert for Pope John Paul II at Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall

Mr. Newnham has conducted numerous performances of opera, ballet, symphonic and pops programmes throughout Europe, Asia and Canada. He has been Guest Professor of Conducting at the Taegu Hyosung University in South Korea. The recipient of numerous awards, including ‘Best Operatic Conductor’ from the East Slovakian State Opera and the Order of Merit from the Republic of Poland, he was recently presented the Turzanski Foundation award for his services in promoting Polish music and culture in Canada.

During the 2006/07 season, Michael Newnham also appears with Opera New Brunswick, will be Music Director for the Hamilton Ballet production of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker with the Hamilton Philharmonic, and revisits the Brantford Symphony.