Susie Dingle studied conducting at the State Conservatory of St Petersburg, Russia, with Ilya Musin – patriarch of a style of conducting which combines rigorous technical expertise with a compassionate enabling of the musicians before him. At the end of Susie’s period of study in St Petersburg she was the only foreign student, and the only woman, to be chosen to conduct in a gala concert celebrating the 100th anniversary of the conducting faculty of the Conservatory. On her return to Scotland she completed a Master’s degree in Conducting at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and has subsequently worked with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, and the Paragon Ensemble. However, her true passion is the encouragement of community musicians of all ages and abilities: Susie has worked with a wide variety of community groups including regional youth orchestras in Aberdeenshire, Highland and Renfrewshire, the Highland Chamber Orchestra, the Caithness Orchestra and choral societies in both Cumbernauld and Wick. Susie now lives in Thurso where she runs the social enterprise caithnessmusic.com which promotes health and well-being through group music making. She also continues her 23 year collaboration with the Scottish Schools Orchestra Trust.
Susie continues Musin’s tradition of encouraging young conductors, and is delighted tonight to have the opportunity to work with the Mahler Players, a group established by one of her former students Tomas Leakey.
