Youth Music Voices

In 2010, Richard was invited to become Artistic Director of Youth Music Voices, a nationwide programme that recruited young people between the ages of 14 and 21 to form a choir that would perform for major events in the lead-up to the London Olympics in 2012. The project was sponsored by national music charity Youth Music and co-produced by international music producers Serious.

Working with a team of top UK choral trainers, he travelled to all parts of the UK leading singing workshops and auditioning young singers. In the week leading up to the opening of the Olympics, he conducted the choir at the Royal Opera House, in Trafalgar Square as part of River of Music, at Westminster Hall and at WOMAD.

During the last year of Youth Music Voices, Richard led workshops in Brazil and Bulgaria and young singers from both these countries travelled to London to join the choir for its final performances. In Bulgaria, he was particularly honoured to be invited to lead singing sessions at the world-famous National Academy of Music in Sofia.