ABOUT

THE BRIGANTES

​The original Brigantes (Brig-ant-ez) were a Celtic people; a collection of tribes ruled by Queen Cartimandua in 1st Century Northern England. They populated what is now Yorkshire.

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Literally meaning 'high ones', possibly in the sense of nobility or as highlanders living on the Pennines or in hillforts, the Brigantes were both tribal and cultured, enjoying theatre and music. The Brigantes Orchestra encapsulates location, culture, unity and the idea that an orchestra is, roughly speaking, a tribe of musicians.

The Brigantes Orchestra was formed and is conducted by music director, Quentin Clare. Giving their first concerts in Sheffield in 2019, audiences can look forward to diverse programmes of high-energy, beautiful performances by local, talented professional musicians.

SIT BACK, RELAX AND
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LISTEN

Coming soon...

CONDUCTOR

​QUENTIN CLARE

The British conductor Quentin Clare made his professional debut at the age of just 25 when he conducted the Hallé Orchestra in the prestigious Bridgewater Hall Manchester. Since then he has worked with many orchestras in the UK including the BBC Philharmonic, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Orchestra of Opera North and Ensemble 11, as well as having performances broadcast on British television and Radio.

Quentin’s international career has seen him conduct orchestras in Europe such as the Danish National Symphony, Dutch Radio Philharmonic, Symphony Orchestra of Nancy and the Nürnburg, Würzburg, Hagen and Bochum Symphony Orchestras. He is equally experienced in the opera house working in France, The Netherlands and in Germany on productions including Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress, A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Benjamin Britten and in particular the French premiere of Robert Carsen’s acclaimed production of Richard III by Giorgio Battistelli.
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Much in demand as an inspirational conductor of young musicians, he has worked at the conservatories in Birmingham, Durham, Den Haag, Tilburg and Weimar, as well as holding posts with the university orchestras of Nijmegen and Leiden. Quentin has been principal guest conductor with Young Sinfonia in Newcastle and is currently music director of The New Mannheim Choir and Orchestra and the Pulcinella Orchestra. He directed with great success the 2014 tour of the National Student Chamber Orchestra of the Netherlands (NESKO) and the 2015 tour of the National Student Symphony Orchestra of the Netherlands (NSO), and in doing so became the first British conductor to work with these ensembles.
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Quentin studied composition, piano and conducting in the UK and conducting in the Netherlands at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague with Jac van Steen, Ed Spanjaard and Micha Hamel.

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"The British conductor Quentin Clare made his professional debut at the age of just 25 when he conducted the Hallé Orchestra in the prestigious Bridgewater Hall Manchester. Since then he has worked with many orchestras in the UK including the BBC Philharmonic, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Orchestra of Opera North and Ensemble 11".

Quentin Clare
Founder and Conductor