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JOHN WOODS was born in
Stirling, Scotland. After studying piano and bassoon at The Royal
Scottish Academy of
Music and Drama he was awarded scholarships from The Scottish Arts
Council and The Ralph Vaughan Williams Trust
to specialise in piano accompaniment at The Royal Northern College of
Music in Manchester. He has since worked as a
guest repetiteur at the R.N.C.M. and The Hong Kong Academy for
Performing Arts. In 1992 he joined the staff of The
Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University as an accompanist and
vocal coach, preparing many of its operas, including the Australian
premiere of Britten's "Billy Budd", as part of the 1993 Brisbane
Biennial Festival.
Engagements have taken him throughout Great Britain, Europe and
Australia, accompanying singers and
instrumentalists on the concert platform and in radio and television
broadcasts. He has worked with some of the finest
singers of the present generation including Joan Rodgers, Amanda
Roocroft, Simon Keenlyside and in particular, Jane
Eaglen.
He has accompanied masterclasses given by several distinguished singers
including Dame Joan Sutherland, Dame
Janet Baker, Dame Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Sir Peter Pears and Luigi Alva,
whom he has also accompanied in recital.
As a Musical Associate for Granada Television, John Woods has credits on
a wide range of arts and drama programmes
which include "The Dame Joan Hammond Masterclasses", "Coronation
Street", "Sherlock Holmes" and "Lost Empires" -
the eight-hour serialisation of the J. B. Priestley novel in which he
worked with the late Sir Laurence Olivier.
John was appointed to the position of accompanist from the beginning of
2006 with the departure of Bronwyn Brown, who had accompanied Brisbane
Concert Choir since its inception.
Brisbane Concert Choir Committee
