CUMS II: Who's Who?
Conductors
CUMS II is conducted by the finest student conductors in the University, selected after a testing audition at the helm of the orchestra.
This year's conductors are Dan Hill, Fergus MacLeod, Carlos del Cueto and Mark Biggins.
Dan Hill
CUMS Publicity Officer & Student Conductor
Daniel began playing the violin at the age of 5 and the piano at age 8. He studied at the Junior Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Margaret Norris and Penelope Stirling, respectively, alongside his education at Tiffin School in London. Daniel was leader of the Tiffin Orchestra, and co-principal of the London School's Symphony Orchestra, going on several tours and working with distinguished soloists. In 2004 he gained an Instrumental Scholarship to Cambridge, where he read Music at Emmanuel College, graduating last year.
Whilst at Cambridge Daniel has played violin in the University Symphony and Chamber Orchestras, as well as giving many recitals as both a soloist and as a chamber musician with his IAS quartets. Last year he led the Opera Societies orchestra in its production of Les Mamelles de Tiresiaes. Daniel has also been President of the Emmanuel College Music Society, and the Cambridge University Chamber Orchestra, as well as being on the committee for the Opera Society.
At Cambridge Daniel has won the CUMS Conducting Competition two years running, working with both CUMS I and II. He has also conducted the Emmanuel College Orchestra, the Cambridge Beethoven Players and various smaller ensembles. Daniel is continuing his study on the violin with Nicholas Miller.
Contact email: Dan Hill (dnh22@cam.ac.uk)
Carlos del Cueto
Student Conductor
Carlos del Cueto is a Gates Cambridge Scholar, pursuing postgraduate studies at Clare College. He was born and grew up in Mexico City, where he studied the piano with the eminent Carlos Barajas. In 2001 he began his conducting studies under the tutelage of the American choral conductor John Guthmiller. Carlos has been active as a conductor ever since.
Before coming to Cambridge Carlos read music and graduated with First Class Honours from Cardiff University, where he was very active as a conductor and pianist working with the university's chamber orchestra, chamber choir, symphony orchestra, choral society, and contemporary music group. During the course of the past two years he established strong relationships with various ensembles across Cambridge, and was co-principal conductor of the Cambridge University Symphony Orchestra (CUSO). Carlos has led performances of numerous works including Beethoven's Fourth Symphony, Franck's Symphony in D minor, Walton's First Symphony, Nielsen's Sinfonia Espansiva, Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique, Holst's Savitri and Purcell's Dido and Aeneas, and various works by Mexican and Spanish composers. Plans for the forthcoming academic year include concerts with CUMS 1 and CUMS 2, the Cambridge Graduate Orchestra, and the main CUOS Lent Opera in February 2009, Eugene Onegin.
Currently, Carlos studies conducting principally with Peter Stark and Stuart Stratford, whom he assisted during the ETO production of Verdi's Falstaff in 2005. Last year he participated in the RNCM Conducting Weekend with Baldur Brönnimann, and he has also had conducting tuition from Christopher Adey and Alexander Polishchuk. He continues to study the piano with Richard Ormrod, and when in the USA with renowned jazz pianist Kenny Werner. Carlos has also done extensive conducting work with musicians from diverse backgrounds (professional, amateur, jazz, young musicians), as well as creating and teaching workshops on rehearsal technique and general musicianship. These activities have taken him around the world to cities such as San Francisco, Madrid, Lyon, London, and Naples. In addition, Carlos has studied Indian classical music with Samir Chatterjee. Since 2001 he has conducted choral and instrumental ensembles for the SYDA Foundation, for which he has served as guest conductor over the years. In 2005 he traveled to India, where he trained and conducted groups of young Indian musicians in various forms of Indian music, such as Vedic recitation and traditional bhajans.
Student Committee
The dedicated souls of the student committee look after all the arrangements needed for our hectic social calendar as well as organising the more serious side of the orchestra's life in conjunction with the CUMS committee.
If you'd like to be involved in running this exciting orchestra, please contact Dan Hill (dnh22@cam.ac.uk).