Music Director
Adam Assen, who took up the post of Music Director of the Downland Chorale in September 2007, is an accomplished musician with a wide experience of conducting, composing and performing. His background is in both classical and non-Western music, in particular the folk music of Mauritius, which he performs regularly in various bands and ensembles. Adam holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Surrey and he has taken part in a Music Industry Training Programme with Sony BMG and an Orchestral Conducting Course with the City Lit University. Adam has also taken a postgraduate course in Choral Education at University of Roehampton.
Adam is passionate about choral conducting and has received tuition from inspiring, eminent classical conductors such as Bob Chilcott and John Rutter. He has also observed training for gospel conducting from Karen Gibson, Director of the Kingdom Choir. He has worked extensively with the Prague Conservatoire string section and Barisons Brass Band and been assistant Musical Director to the Fitznells School of Music in Surrey.
In addition to his work as a conductor Adam, together with lyricist Anne Thackray has written a wealth of music for schools which has sold extremely successfully over the last ten years. This has included the 'Jubilee Anthem', 'Sharing Music' (written for children with autism and commended by the University of Hertforshire and OFSTED), 'What an Amazing Thing' (a Christmas musical), 'Noah – The Musical' and 'Tout Le Monde', a festival of music from around the world. He is also regularly commissioned to write choral pieces and musicals for schools, the latest being 'Perseus and Medusa – The Musical', composed last year for King's House School in Richmond.
Adam is a trained pianist and percussionist and has performed in some outstanding venues and events. These include Westminster Abbey, Trentino Choral Festival, The Commonwealth Institute, The Carling Academy, Festival Hall – Tokyo, The Royal Festival Hall and many others. Previously conductor for Barisons Chamber Choir, Adam toured much of Europe with them performing at some of the most magnificent choral venues including St. Mark's Venice, St. Nicholas' Prague and St. Peter & Paul's Krakow. Adam also conducts a chamber choir, the Accendo Singers based in Kingston, Surrey. This new choir set up in 2009 has already recorded a single for Absolute Radio which is available on iTunes.