Jeremy Summerly
Jeremy Summerly is a British conductor. He was educated at Lichfield Cathedral, at Winchester College and at New College, Oxford. While at Oxford he conducted the New College Chamber Orchestra and the Oxford Chamber Choir. After graduating with a first class honours degree in Music in 1982, he started work as a Studio Manager for BBC Radio, while pursuing postgraduate research at King's College London. He founded the Oxford Camerata in 1984. In 1989 he was appointed lecturer at the Royal Academy of Music, where he was Head of Academic Studies from 1996 to 2007 and subsequently Senior Academic Studies Lecturer, and was conductor of the Schola Cantorum of Oxford from 1990 to 1996. He is also now the Co-Artistic Director of the Oxford period instrumental and vocal ensemble, Oxford Baroque.
In 2010 Jeremy was appointed Director of Music at St Luke's Church, Chelsea. Alongside the regular weekly rehearsals and services, St Luke's Choir performs services three times a year with All Saints' Fulham and St Martin-in-the-Fields and tours UK cathedrals twice a year. Jeremy also founded the annual St Luke's Christmas Carol Competition.
He conducted the Choir of The Queen's College, Oxford, during the sabbatical of the organist, Dr Owen Rees, for the 2013–14 academic year. In February 2015 it was announced that he is to serve as the Director of Music at St. Peter's College, Oxford, from the beginning of the academic term 2015-16, a position which he left in March 2019. Edward Higginbottom, former Director of Music at New College, Oxford, was named as a temporary replacement for the 2019/20 academic year, pending the appointment of a permanent successor.
In 2017 he was made a Fellow of the Royal School of Church Music. He has conducted on over 50 commercial recordings.
Jeremy has been married to Helly, a soprano and marketing director, since 2015. Their daughter Effie was also born later that year. They live in West London with their three cats.
