Elisabeth Brierley
Elisabeth grew up in North Lincolnshire and her love of music began when she joined the Scunthorpe Co-operative Junior Choir at just four years old. Her experiences with Scunthorpe Co-operative Junior Choir over the next sixteen years instilled in her a love of choral music and encouraged her to pursue a career in music.She graduated from the University of Oxford in 2015 with a BA Hons Music (First Class). Whilst at Oxford, she managed a student-led music education charity, Music Plus and was also the founder of the Concert Pledge project, which was established to provide concert-going opportunities for primary school children at local state schools. Her music education and outreach work whilst at university led to her being presented with one of five Vice Chancellor’s Social Impact Award in 2015.
During her time studying in Oxford, Elisabeth also established a passion for conducting; forming and directing the Magdalen College Choir as well as directing the Magdalen Orchestra, Swing Band and the Blackbird Leys Community Choir. Since then, Elisabeth has continued to develop her conducting skills and in 2015 – 2016, she was appointed as one of four Sing for Pleasure Young Conducting scholars. She has studied conducting with Sarah Tenant-Flowers, Amy Bebbington, Manvinder Rattan and Susan Hollingworth.
Having returned to North Lincolnshire in 2015, Elisabeth now works as the Events and Training Manager for the Association of British Choral Directors and as an In Harmony Delivery Artist for the Opera North Education team. She also chairs the North Lincolnshire Singing Strategy Steering Group and sits on the Board of the North Lincolnshire Music Hub. Over the last three years she has achieved the British Kodály Academy’s “Certificate of Professional Practice in the Kodály Concept of Music Education: Primary Level 1 – 3” and this methodology informs all of Elisabeth’s teaching and choral work.
Elisabeth has previously conducted the New County Choral Society, Scunthorpe Co-operative Junior Choir and acted as a guest conductor for the Lydian Chamber Choir. She regularly works with school and youth choirs across Leeds and North Lincolnshire and is the Musical Director of Saints’ Singers, an upper voice community choir based in Winterton. Still an active choral singer herself, Elisabeth is also a member of the Lydian Chamber Choir and The Lyndhurst Singers.
