OUR MUSICAL DIRECTOR - MATTHEW QUINN
We were delighted to appoint Matthew Quinn as our new Musical Director with effect from 1st January 2022, succeeding Donal McCrisken who had recently retired from the choir.
On the announcement of his appointment, Matthew said “I am delighted to be joining Cappella Caeciliana as their Musical Director. They are a wonderful group of singers who have achieved a very high level of ensemble singing under their previous director, Donal McCrisken, and I am extremely excited to see what we achieve together in this exciting new chapter.”
At the same time, David Macartney, our Chairman, said “It is with great pleasure that we can announce that Matthew Quinn has been appointed Musical Director of our choir. Matthew is an exceptionally talented musician with the energy and vision to lead Cappella in an exciting new chapter, building on the wonderful legacy of our former Musical Director, Donal McCrisken. Matthew’s skill in choral directing has already been recognised by the internationally acclaimed choral directors Harry Christophers and Eamonn Dougan, through Matthew’s work with the Genesis Sixteen.”
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Matthew Quinn is a Belfast-born, London-based, conductor, composer and singer.
Matthew has a reputation for his exciting and dynamic approach to his music making. Working primarily across the UK and Ireland, Matthew has conducted ensembles such as the Ulster Orchestra, RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Hard Rain Soloist Ensemble, Chamber Choir Ireland and the orchestra and chorus of Northern Ireland Opera. He is comfortable across a wide range of operatic, orchestral, and choral repertoire. He has received multiple conducting accolades, including as winner of the 2019 RTÉ/Feis Ceoil Orchestral Conducting Award with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra – securing the opportunity to record Dvorak’s Ninth Symphony with the orchestra in the 2020/21 season. He has worked as assistant conductor with ensembles such as the BBC Concert Orchestra, Crouch End Festival Chorus, and London Mozart Players.
Matthew is highly adept at working with new music, and in the 22/23 season alone premiered over twenty new works with ensembles such as the Ulster Orchestra, Chamber Choir Ireland, Northern Ireland Opera, and the Hard Rain Soloist Ensemble. He is also a passionate advocate for music education, having previously conducted the National Children’s Orchestra of Great Britain and Ulster Youth Orchestra (National Youth Orchestra of Northern Ireland), and since 2023 being Musical Director of the London Youth Chamber Choir.
Matthew's most recent appointments were in August 2024, when he became Chorus Director of English National Opera and in April 2025 when he was named as Principal Conductor of the National Youth Choir (15-18 years).