Michael Seal (born 3 May 1970) is a British orchestral conductor and classical violinist. Since 2011 he has served as the Associate Conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO), having served previously as the orchestra's Assistant Conductor. He is only the second conductor to be given the title of Associate Conductor at the CBSO. The first was Harold Gray who served in that capacity for several decades until his retirement in 1972.Morley, Christopher (25 March 2011)
"Michael Seal's stand-in ovation"
''

Birmingham Post The ''Birmingham Post'' is a weekly printed newspaper based in Birmingham, England, with a circulation of 2,545 and distribution throughout the West Midlands. First published under the name the ''Birmingham Daily Post'' in 1857, it has had a s ...

''. Retrieved 17 July 2018. In addition to his conducting, Seal played in the violin section of the CBSO from 1992 to 2014.

Life and career

Seal was born in London and raised in

Rochester, Kent Rochester ( ) is a town in the unitary authority of Medway, in Kent, England. It is at the lowest bridging point of the River Medway, about from London. The town forms a conurbation with neighbouring towns Chatham, Rainham, Strood and Gillin ...

where he began his violin studies at the age of nine. He attended Chatham Grammar School for Boys and played in the Kent County Youth Orchestra, first as a violist and later as the orchestra's first violin and concertmaster. He continued his musical studies at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, where he won the Birmingham Philharmonic Concerto Prize. He joined the CBSO as a violinist in 1992.

Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra The Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra is a non-professional orchestra based in Birmingham, England. History The orchestra was founded by Ernest Powell in 1941, when a group of musicians gathered to perform Handel's Messiah. The group carried o ...

(2006)
''Season 06–07''
p. 2. Retrieved 17 July 2018.''

Kent Messenger The ''Kent Messenger'' is a weekly newspaper serving the mid- Kent area. It is published in three editions - Maidstone, Malling, and the Weald. It is owned by the KM Group and is published on Thursdays. History The ''Kent Messenger'' grew f ...

'' (15 January 2016)
"Conductor Comes Home"
Retrieved 17 July 2018. He began conducting with the

in 1996 and later conducted the CBSO as well as playing in its first violin section. Several times he stepped in to conduct the CBSO on very short notice. In 2004 he substituted Sakari Oramo to conduct the world premiere of

Richard Causton Richard Causton may refer to: * Richard Causton, 1st Baron Southwark (1843–1929) * Richard Causton (composer) Richard Causton (born 1971) is an English composer and teacher. Biography Born in London, Richard Causton attended Quintin Kynaston ...

's ''Between Two Waves of the Sea''. In 2011 he substituted Ilan Volkov in a concert of Scandinavian music. Seal was appointed Assistant Conductor of the CBSO in 2005 and Associate Conductor in 2011. He relinquished his post in the CBSO's violin section in 2014 to devote himself full-time to conducting. Seal is also known for his work with youth orchestras. He has served a Principal Conductor of the Birmingham Schools Orchestra and frequently conducts the

CBSO Youth Orchestra The CBSO Youth Orchestra in Birmingham, England is an amateur symphony orchestra for young people managed by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO). The orchestra is based at CBSO Centre but performs at Symphony Hall, Birmingham; membe ...

. As a guest conductor he has conducted several UK and international orchestras, including the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Norwegian Radio Orchestra, and the Brussels Philharmonic. Seal is also a keen cricketer. A fine pace bowler, Seal took five wickets in a match during the 2018 season.

References

External links

*
Michael Seal
BBC *Seal, Michael (26 November 2015)
"Poacher turned gamekeeper"
''Amati Magazine'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Seal, Michael 1970 births Musicians from London English conductors (music) British male conductors (music) Living people Alumni of Birmingham Conservatoire 21st-century British conductors (music) 21st-century British male musicians