The Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) has announced the appointment of Sergej Bolkhovets as its new Junior Fellow in Conducting.

Final candidates

The Russian will commence his post in September, and was one of twelve candidates chosen to attend auditions from over 60 worldwide applications.

Three final candidates each conducted the RNCM Symphony Orchestra in one movement of Dvorak's 'Ninth Symphony', following four rounds featuring contemporary and chamber orchestra repertoire.

Panel

This year's panel was Sir Mark Elder (Music Director of the Halle and the RNCM's International Chair in Conducting), Clark Rundell (Head of Conducting, RNCM), Dr Michelle Castelletti (Artistic Director, RNCM) and Mark Heron (Tutor in Conducting, RNCM).

A graduate of the Hochschule fur Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin and Royal College of Music in Stockholm, Sergej is also an international award-winning violinist, and studied conducting with Ulrich Metzger and Felix Kreiger.

Being awarded the prestigious Junior Fellowship at the RNCM is like dream come true — such an honourable, important, and inspiring step for my development as a conductorSergej Bolkhovets

Prestigious

On his appointment he said: "Being awarded the prestigious Junior Fellowship at the RNCM is like dream come true — such an honourable, important, and inspiring step for my development as a conductor.

I feel very humbled to have been selected as the next RNCM Junior Fellow in Conducting and look forward to not only learning and growing as a conductor, but to sharing my abilities and experiences with the College's wonderful students."