Ryan Bancroft wins 2018 Malko Competition for Young Conductors

Published: 15/05/2018

Conducting graduate Ryan Bancroft (MMus Conducting 2015) has won the 2018 Malko Competition for Young Conductors. The 28-year-old won €20,000 and gained new mentors in Fabio Luisi and Jennifer Spencer, as well as invitations, to conduct 24 symphony orchestras from Canada, Europe and the Far East following his recent victory at the competition in Copenhagen.

More than 566 conductors from around the world applied to participate in the week-long, triennial Malko Competition for Young Conductors, with 24 conducting the Danish National Symphony Orchestra during the course of the competition under the watchful eye of Fabio Luisi’s jury.

The victory is the latest success for Ryan, who earned his BFA and MFA from the California Institute of the Arts in trumpet with studies in harp, flute, Ghanaian music and dance, and ballet before receiving a Masters degree with distinction in orchestral conducting from the Royal Conservatoire. During his studies, he actively conducted the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Red Note. He was performed as a trumpet player with the BBC SSO.

Ryan is also a graduate of the prestigious Nationale Master Orkestdirectie through the Conservatorium van Amsterdam and the Koninklijk Conservatorium Den Haag where he was given the opportunity to work with several Dutch and European orchestras.