Toby Thatcher is an Australian/British conductor. He is currently mentored by Peter Eötvös. He is the co-founder & Conductor of Ensemble x.y, Artistic Director of Zeitgeist, an online multimedia gallery for the commission & presentation of contemporary work through a sociopolitical lens, & founder & Artistic Director of the London Circle, launching in 2020.
In 2019 Toby was awarded 2nd Prize at the International Competition of Young Conductors Lovro von Matačić, Zagreb,and was Conducting Fellow at the Cabrillo Festival, under Cristian Macelaru. Between 2015-17 Toby was Assistant Conductor to the Sydney Symphony Orchestra (SSO), and in 2017 was shortlisted for the Salzburg Festival Young Conductors Award. Prior to the SSO appointment, Toby was a finalist and prizewinner at the Georg Solti International Conducting Competition & Neeme Jarvi Prize winner at the 2015 Menuhin Festival Gstaad. Toby has worked with orchestras internationally including Sydney Symphony Orchestra, HR-Sinfonieorchester, Ensemble Modern, Frankfurter Opern und Museumsorchester, Sinfonieorchester Basel, Panon Philharmonic, Auckland Philharmonia, Queensland Symphony Orchestra & Adelaide Symphony Orchestra.
Toby graduated from the Royal Academy of Music with an MA in Music Performance where he studied oboe. In his final year of studies Toby was a regular freelance musician with the London Philharmonia & London Sinfonietta, as well as being offered a trial with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for the position of Principal Cor Anglais. Toby has lectured at the Royal Academy of Music, and been invited to speak at the British Association of Romantic Studies’ Summer Conference.
Australian Bushfire Benefit London 