Haffner's flying start

Lancaster’s popular orchestra has a new man at the conductor’s podium

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ONE of Lancashire’s best loved orchestras has welcomed a new musical director who could be described as a highflier in more ways than one.

An audience of around 500 were at Lancaster university’s Great Hall to see Jonny Lo take up the baton with the city’s Haffner Orchestra. The brilliant violinist Gina McCormack was also there to play Tchaikovsky’s violin concerto.

If Jonny hadn’t been a conductor, he would probably have been a pilot. He always had a passion for flying and has a pilot’s licence. As well as now being the Haffner’s musical director, he is also principal guest conductor of the Xi’an Symphony Orchestra in China and principal conductor of the Manchester Chamber Choir and New Bristol Sinfonia.

A BBC Performing Arts Fellow in 2015 with the Birmingham Royal Ballet and Rambert Dance Company, he continues to conduct for both companies regularly. He also maintains his passion for working with young musicians through his work as musical director of the King’s College London Symphony Orchestra and the University of Southampton Sinfonietta.