Mark Galtrey was born in Liverpool, and began his musical career as a cellist. He made his concerto debut at Liverpool’s Philharmonic Hall aged 14, and has been a regular soloist ever since, including performing the world premiere of Robert Steadman's Cello Concerto in Oxford Town Hall. More recently he has focused more on chamber music, with performances of Beethoven and Mozart quartets and Beethoven and Schubert quintets. Mark was admitted as a Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music at 17. As a singer, he was Section Leader of the National Youth Choir of Great Britain and a Choral Scholar at Selwyn College Cambridge. He took up conducting in 2003, and conducted the Cambridge University Music Society Symphony and Wind Orchestras, as well as the University of Cambridge Philharmonic Orchestra and Philharmonia, studying conducting with George Hurst and Denise Ham. In 2010 he was appointed conductor of the Letchworth Sinfonia. A scientist by training, Mark was a PhD student in Materials Science at Selwyn College, Cambridge from 2005 to 2008. He now lives and works as a civil servant in London, and loves Bach, Schubert, Bruckner, Sibelius, and Liverpool Football Club. Photo: Erja Atroshi