Tom Hammond has been DSO's principal conductor since January 2011.

Tom is an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music, recognition of his progression since becoming the first Sir Charles Mackerras Fellow in Conducting at Trinity Laban (Trinity College of Music). He has conducted several prominent professional ensembles, including London Symphony Orchestra Brass, sound collective, Southbank Sinfonia, Orchestra of Opera North and the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. Moving within a broad variety of repertoire, Hammond dedicates equal enthusiasm to his work with professionals, conservatoire students and non-professionals, also investing energy in developing outreach projects.

He has conducted numerous world and UK premières, performing music by leading contemporary figures such as John McCabe, David Matthews, Robert Saxton, Matthew Taylor, Paul Patterson, Elena Firsova, Bernard Hughes and James Francis Brown. Soloists with whom Tom has collaborated include Elizabeth Meister and Susana Gaspar (soprano), Simon Callaghan (piano), Mia Cooper, Marianne Thorsen (violin), Matthew Jones (viola) and Øystein Baadsvik (tuba).

In 2005 Hammond was selected to compete at the prestigious Sibelius International Conductors' Competition. In 2006 Sir Charles Mackerras chose Tom as the first ever Mackerras Junior Fellow in Conducting at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, London. During the appointment Hammond invested the majority of his time in opera, conducting acclaimed performances of Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress, Poulenc's Dialogues des Carmélites and Mozart's Zaïde.

In 2009 Hammond was a prizewinning semi-finalist at the Leeds Conductors Competition and assisted for the Classical Opera Company. In 2010 he was Assistant Conductor and Chorus Master for British Youth Opera's production of Puccini's La bohème. During 2011 Tom was appointed Associate of the Royal Academy of Music in recognition of his achievements in conducting plus his year as Principal Conductor of the Junior RAM Symphony Orchestra, and visited the West Bank to work with the Palestine Youth Orchestra.

Hammond maintains a busy schedule of rehearsals and concerts as Music Director of The Dulwich Symphony Orchestra (London), Sinfonia Tamesa (London), the Essex Symphony Orchestra and British Police Symphony Orchestra, and as regular guest with many other orchestras and ensembles, including Trinity Laban. Tom Hammond is Artistic Director of sound collective, a professional ensemble formed in 2003. This flexible group is known for its stylish, well researched performances based on the democratic ethos of chamber music.

 

Paula Tysall is the leader of DSO. Paula studied violin at the Centre for Young Musicians (where she was awarded the Associated Board’s Silver Medal), and at the Royal College of Music and the National Centre for Orchestral Studies. As a member of the New London Orchestra she has recorded for Hyperion Records, made broadcasts for the BBC and Classic FM, appeared at the Proms, and in Matthew Bourne’s award winning Swan Lake.

Paula has recorded for Time and Tune (BBC schools radio ). She is a regular member of the Minehead Festival Orchestra. Recent opera performances have been Magic Flute, Marriage of Figaro and L’Elisir d’Amore – all with one player to a part. She was a member of the Inderwick Piano Trio, and the Kinveachy Ensemble which performed Baroque music in hospitals and hospices as part of the Council for Music in Hospitals scheme.

Paula plays in the Ashington String Quartet.