Ammal Bhatia is a conductor and recent graduate from the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM). He is a student of Sian Edwards, Jonathan Mann and Peter Stark, and trained as a violinist with Steve Wilkie. He has just been made Conductor in Residence of the London Schools Symphony Orchestra (LSSO) for the 24/25 season. In addition to this, Ammal has been personally mentored by Adam Szabo, former Chief Executive and Artistic Director of Manchester Collective, and now Director of the BBC Philharmonic.

Highlights from the 2023/24 season included debuts with numerous professional orchestras and ensembles, and a masterclass with Jac van Steen and the Ulster Orchestra. Ammal was conductor of the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group (BCMG) NEXT Programme 23/24 and appeared on BBC Radio 3’s New Music Show with the BCMG, conducting Mochizuki and a premiere by rising composer Ben Nobuto. He also assisted Malcolm Merriwether with the Chineke! Orchestra in a UK premiere of Nunes Garcia’s Requiem.

Passionate about contemporary music, Ammal has worked with the London Sinfonietta in a masterclass with Vimbayi Kaziboni, and conducted the Hard Rain SoloistEnsemble in a masterclass with Jonathan Mann. Ammal has also received world class tuition from Andrew Grams, Leslie Suganandarajah, Clark Rundell, Ben Gernon and Manoj Kamps. Ammal have been privileged to assist Henk Guittart, Toby Purser, Peter Stark and Alessandro Pagliazzi. He also frequently works with youth and amateur orchestras including St Albans Philomusica Youth Orchestra and Hertfordshire County Youth Orchestra. Passionate about opera, Ammal was assistant conductor productions of Don Giovanni and Hänsel und Gretel with Vienna Opera Academy.

Ammal is the Artistic Director and Founder of the Carme Ensemble, which he established in May 2021. This project-by-project orchestra based in Manchester has received high praise and multiple awards, including appearing on Classic FM. He is also Co-Director of the Enys Chamber Music Festival. He was the lead on the organisation becoming a registered charity, and manages the day-to-day running of the Festival with fellow Co-Director Stefan Rogers. The Festival aims to bring high quality accessible chamber music, performed by young professional musicians, to Falmouth and Penryn.

Ammal has played with Chineke! Orchestra (most recently in their European tours, at their BBC Prom and appearing as guest leader for the Harvey Parker memorial concert), and projects with Manchester Collective and the Hallé. He co-founded the Franco-Mendes Quartet when at the RNCM, which has received high praise for its daring and contemporary performance style, and has been fortunate enough to study with the Elias Quartet, Trio Gaspard, Trio Karenine, Talich Quartet, Chilingirian Quartet, Piatti Quartet and Magnus Johnston. Finally, Ammal is a qualified Mental Health First Aider (MHFA).

December 2024