NIGEL SEAMAN – PROFESSIONAL MUSICAL DIRECTOR
Following on from our recent appointment of Andy Wareham as our Resident Music Director, we are delighted to announce the additional appointment of Nigel Seaman ARMCM ARNCM as our Professional Musical Director. Nigel and Andy will be working together helping us make the best music we can make.
Nigel Seaman is a busy freelance conductor, teacher, brass band trainer and adjudicator currently working with a number of bands in Wales and beyond. In 2015 he joined the creative team of Cory Band, the world’s top-ranked band, as their Musical Consultant, working closely with the band’s Musical Director, Philip Harper.
He has been tutor of tuba and brass studies at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama since 1977 and is in much demand as a conductor, teacher, mentor, adjudicator and brass band trainer.
Born in Denbigh, North Wales, Nigel studied at the Royal Manchester and Royal Northern Colleges of Music. On graduating he moved to South Wales in 1975 to join the Orchestra of Welsh National Opera as Principal Tuba. Two years later he moved to the principal chair of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, a post he held for 33 years until his retirement in 2010.
Over the years, Nigel has held a number of appointments with all the top Welsh bands including Cory, Tredegar Town, Parc & Dare, Lewis Merthyr, Llwydcoed, Markham, BTM and Burry Port Town Band.
Nigel is also in much demand as a freelance conductor and adjudicator, frequently working with bands in Wales, whilst visits further afield have included, Wellington Brass (New Zealand), Soli Brass (Netherlands), Kortrijk (Belgium),Brighouse & Rastrick, Faireys, Desford and Staffordshire bands.
He is currently Professional Musical Director of the Jaguar Land Rover and Hyde bands.
Nigel’s connection to the Antipodes began in 2017 when he was engaged as the chief adjudicator of both the Australian and New Zealand Championships. He returned on two occasions in 2018 to direct Wellington Band’s winning performances in Melbourne and Blenheim to become Australasian Champions of that year.
For 10 years Nigel presented the popular ‘Sounding Brass’ programme on BBC Radio Wales and during his professional playing, conducting and adjudicating career has travelled extensively in the UK, and undertaken many overseas tours throughout Europe, USA, Canada, Japan, the Middle East and Far East, New Zealand and Australia, and during the past 40 plus years has directed over 400 contest performances and many more concert appearances with over 45 different bands.
In 2011 the prestigious Welsh Music Guild presented Nigel with the John Edwards Memorial Award, given in recognition of outstanding achievements in the field of Welsh music. This reflected Nigel’s long career in the BBC NOW and his many years of music-making in Wales. He is also a Silver Award recipient and Life Member and Executive Member of the South East Wales Brass Band Association.