Sue Baxendale

Sue read English and Music at the University of Birmingham before studying as a postgraduate at the Royal Northern College of Music (PGDipRNCM). She joined Scottish Opera in 1996, and since then has freelanced with BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, the Halle, Opera North, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Scottish Ballet amongst many others.

Alongside her teaching at the RCS and the RCS Junior Conservatoire, Sue is on the staff of both the Music School of Douglas Academy and St Mary’s Music School. She also tutors for the National Children’s Orchestra, National Youth Orchestras of Scotland, National Youth Wind Ensemble of Scotland, the Caledonian Chamber Orchestra, and co-directs Malvern Winds, a large-scale chamber music course for adults.

A varied portfolio musician, passionate about working creatively within a wider social and cultural context and actively advocating for inclusivity and neuro-diversity across all her work, Sue combines her opera and teaching commitments with work as a Creative Producer and Project Manager, devising and delivering outreach work for children, young people and adults in both educational and community settings. Projects include programmes for McOpera (which she co-directs), Scottish Chamber Orchestra (Creative Learning) and for festivals including Haddo Arts and the Lammermuir Festival, for whom she has delivered several large-scale community operas (Noye’s Fludde, An Cadal Trom, Catriona and the Dragon).