Anthony Inglis wanted to be a conductor from the age of 6 and indeed began at that age. He was at his pre-prep school in a place just outside Sevenoaks Kent, when his music teacher, spying some talent asked him to conduct the school choir.  He has since stated, it was such a life-changing moment, he can remember everything about it: the tune, set up of the choir, perucussion, teacher on the piano, and an incident where he first made an audience laugh. He was conducting in two, and on one of his upbeats, he lost the baton which flew into the audience making all the mums scream as they wondered what had fallen amongst them!  This soon turned to laughter when he first looked in puzzlement at his hand, then turned round to look for it in the auditorium, where it was solemnly handed back to him so he could finish the performance.  His next school was at Hordle House, just outside Milford-on-Sea on the south coast of England, where he quickly outgrew the talents of the local music teacher.  In fact, he lost an argument with her once as he stated that F major did not have a Bb.  She was so incensed that she jabbed her pencil into the back of his hand where he still carries the scar!  After Hordle he won a music scholarship to Marlborough College, a well known English public school, where he could immerse himself in all the school had to offer, which was immense.  A father Willis organ, concerts, orchestras, choirs, trips to local halls etc. He also became an amateur actor and there is an amazing story of how he once double booked himself to play Portia in Julius Caesar (it was an all boys boarding school) and play the piano in a Beethoven piano quintet (he forgets which one!) on the same evening.  Undaunted he persuaded the organisers of the concert to programme the Beethoven at a specific time which coincided with a length of time that Portia was not appearing on the stage.  However, there was no time to change.  So the concert goers in the Adderley at Marlborough College were greeted with the incongruous sight of a string quartet playing in black tie and Anthony Inglis playing the piano in a mini dress, tights and long blonde wig that the director of Julius Casear had chosen for him to wear for the play.  Appraently, he was a sensasation!  He did not do well academically and left the school early with a grand total of 4 O levels, despite being given the opportunity to take Scripture O Level.  "Everyone gets Scripture O Level in a term, however you Anthony, we'll give 2 terms".  He still failed! 

At 16 he entered the Royal College of Music which is very close to the Royal Albert Hall, a building he was to get to know extremely well.  He quickly absorbed himself into the musical life of London and stayed at The College for 5 years.  His first concert there was to organise a Student's Association concert comprising the complete ballet score to Daphnis and Chloe.  For the choir he engaged the Royal Choral Society, again a choir he was to get to know extremely well.  The last time he conducted them (in 2009), there was still a lady there who took part in that concert!  Further concerts followed: Scriabin Prometheus Poem of Fire, Verdi Requiem (again with the RCS) at the  Military Academy Sandhurst, Tchaikovsky 6th Symphony to which he invited Bernard Haitink to conduct a rehearsal.  However, after 5 years The College were beginning to think he should start his career and he began by playing the piano for shows: Leatherhead panto, West Side Story at The Collegiate (now The Bloomsbery) Theatre in a production of Bill Kenwright.  Then he progressed to the West End.  Irene with Dame Anna Neagle and Jon Pertwee, My Fair Lady directed by the lyricist Alan Jay Lerner who became a good friend and for whom he played at the memorial service in St. Paul's Church Covent Garden.  Three productions of Cameron Mackintosh's Oliver starring George Layton, Roy Hudd and the great Ron Moody (the last time he reprised the role), and The Two Ronnies with Messers Barker and Corbett.  He did two productions for Harold Fielding, one of which travelled to Australia, the first time he visited this great country that he was to get to know well and the second of which went to the London Palladium. 

He then made a conscious decision to leave the West End and deliberately put himself out of work until the offer of conducting ballet came along, and he first of all conducted English National Ballet's production of The Nutcracker at the Royal Festival Hall and then Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake plus a triple bill for Birmingham Royal Ballet.  The discipline of ballet conducting was not for him though and he left that world to pursue his concert career.  He began regularly conducting The Philharmonia Orchestra in London and the Royal Philharmonic in concerts for Victor Hochhauser and Raymond Gubbay, eventually taking Raymond's Classical Spectacular into the global phenomenon known today.  In 2007 and after 15 years he decided to quit.  He has a close association with a number of orchestras, regularly visiting the Hong Kong Sinfonietta, London Concert Orchestra and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.  His own orchestra is the National Symphony Orchestra of which he is the Music Director and after their recent hugely successful trans-atlantic cruise on board the Queen Mary 2, they have an agreement to make the crossing every year, giving a series of concerts on board. He is Music Director for the Welsh mezzo-soprano singing sensation Katherine Jenkins and they have a close working relationship.  He has not completely given up his West End work as he is also Music Supervisor of Phantom of The Opera; a show he has been involved with from about 2 months after it opened in 1986.  First he was brought in as Guest Conductor, taking over as Music Director 6 months later.  After 18 months as Music Director, he resigned to be offered the specially created post of Music Supervisor.  After 15 years he resigned to be offered his current position, however, he now has no input into the running of the production, though he returned to it in April 2008 when a brand new sound system was put into the theatre and both Cameron and Andrew wanted someone they could trust at the helm.  He stayed about 8 weeks conducting 2 or 3 performances a week, and it is a source of great pride to him that his 3 children, all born well after he first started his involvement with the show, should have seen him conduct a performance.   He regularly conducts concerts of all descriptions from Beethoven symphonies to naming ceremonies of ocean liners such as the Queen Mary 2 and the Queen Victoria.  Indeed he has a burgeoning career as a speaker and regularly lectures on board the Cunard ships on his life and time (so far) in music!  If there's an orchestra involved, you can find Anthony Inglis conducting somewhere and not for nothing is he known amongst his colleagues as the conductor who can conduct anything.   He can be found conducting award ceremonies at the Royal Albert Hall with the Royal Philharmonic and conducting his own Romance for Violin and Orchestra with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic; he can be found every New Year's Eve, as he has every year since 1993, in Symphony Hall Birmingham with the London Concert Orchestra ringing in the New Year until just after midnight, then hotfooting it down the M1 as he and the orchestra give the traditional New Year's Day afternoon concert in the Barbican Hall London. He is still conducting orchestras that are new to him, and this season, he conducts the Malaysian Philharmonic and Auckland Philharmonia for the first time.  There is a new liner to name and a concert to be worked on for the guests who will watch the naming.

THE YEAR 2009

2009 started quite quietly, but quickly developed into frantic weeks as various planning meetings commenced. He was partly responsible for the 500th anniversary celebration of St. Paul's School and of course it had been decided to take a nucleus of his own orchestra on a transatlantic voyage of the Queen Mary 2 and give a couple of concerts during the 5 day crossing. Various concerts interspersed these meetings, most notable in Dublin (twice) and London, but he was still able to take his family on board QM2 during the Easter holidays and undertake a recce of what happens during a transatlantic voyage. At the same he gave his lectures on board. It was fortunate he did, as he foresaw some of the difficulties that could have arisen when his idea of forming a choir from the passengers and for them to participate live in the final concert was accepted. He started the summer by going back to one of his favourite orchestras, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, where probably for the first time he trod where no conductor had trod before and did the full monty.....though he had a Superman costume underneath! This was prefaced by his trousers falling down during one of the previous pieces and him having to leave the platform while the orchestra carried on playing! He came back to conduct the NSO in many outdoor concerts with Katherine Jenkins, Vanessa Mae and Blake, and he was particularly proud of his Love and War at Arundel Castle concert, where a rapt audience sat spellbound to the Prelude and Liebstod from Tristan and Isolde; you could have heard a pin drop from the large picnicing audience. Then came the time for members of the NSO to embark the QM2 at Southampton! By common consent, it was one of the most enjoyable experiences the orchestra had ever had, though they have unanimously decided never again to rehearse in a Force 8 gale. Even though the QM2 is rock steady in comparison to any other ship, there is still a very odd sensation when you put bow to string and the floor suddenly drops away from you!! Buckets were placed (and used!) strategically around the auditorium and 3 members of the orchestra were lost to seasickness. However, there was a full house, both on the stage and in the auditorium when the concert began. The reception from the audience was simply staggering and hugely appreciated by the orchestra. The "experiment" to have a choir formed of passengers was also a huge succes and no less than 150 guests volunteered. 2 choirs were formed for the 2 concerts and with the 2 rehearsals were able to give superb performances of Handel's Largo in 4 part harmony. With an approval rating of 97.1% they were immediately invited back on an annual basis and dates are actively being discussed. In October, Anthony Inglis gave another concert on board the Queen Mary 2, this time it was with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, while she was docked in Liverpool and celebrating 5 years of her existence. With an approval rating of 98.5% it looks certain that next year's Round Britain voyage on the Queen Victoria, will also feature an orchestral concert, this time with the Hallé Orchestra. On November 23rd , he departed for Auckland and an extremely successful concert with the Auckland Philharmonia.  He stayed 3 days (time for rehearsals and a concert) before flying back to London and a Friday Night is Music Night.  Then back out to Kuala Lumpur for 4 days and a concert with Katherine Jenkins.  Day after landing from KL he was at the Albert Hall on the 15th December for the BT concert, before appearing for Raymond Gubbay's and his debut at the O2 Arena.  13,000 people heard Tchaikovsky and Slade in the same concert! New Year's Eve saw 2 concerts in Symphony Hall Birmingham finishing at 12.10am on New Year's Day before getting to The Barbican in London at 11.30am the same day for a rehearsal prior to the New Year's Day afternoon concert.