Jessica Cottis

Jessica Cottis (born 13 December 1976 in Sale, Victoria, Australia^[1][2]) is an Australian-British conductor.

Cottis is the daughter of an Australian diplomat, high ranking Royal Australian Air Force officer and Defence Attaché. Her older sister is immigration expert Sophie Montgomery-Male; her older brother is the musician and writer James Montgomery-Willcox. She studied organ, piano and musicology at the Australian National University, and graduated with first-class honours. With support from the Royal Philharmonic Society and Australian Music Foundation, she continued her studies in Paris with Marie-Claire Alain. She was a prize winner in the 2000 Australian Young Performers' Competition. Her European debut as an organist was at London's Westminster Cathedral in 2001.

In 2006, Cottis began conducting studies at the Royal Academy of Music, London, after reading law at the University of London.^[1] Her teachers included Colin Metters, George Hurst and Sir Colin Davis. She graduated from the RAM in 2009, with distinction. During her time at the RAM, Cottis founded a new opera company, Bloomsbury Opera.^[1] She works as Manson Fellow in Composition at RAM and, in 2009, became the first Postgraduate Conducting Fellow of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama,^[3] where her mentors include Donald Runnicles.^[4]

In 2008, Cottis became Associate Conductor of the Azalea Ensemble, the London-based contemporary music group. In September 2009, Cottis was appointed assistant conductor with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Cottis has also commissioned new operas, including Anna Meredith's Tarantula in Petrol Blue^[5] and The Mirror by Martin Georgiev.^[1]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Michael Tumelty (2009-12-08). "Pointing the way to a musical success story". The Herald. http://www.heraldscotland.com/arts-ents/music-features/pointing-the-way-to-a-musical-success-story-1.990893. Retrieved 2009-12-10. 
2. ^ Michael Tumelty (2010-06-23). "A score to be settled". The Herald. http://www.heraldscotland.com/arts-ents/music-features/a-score-to-be-settled-1.1036580. Retrieved 2010-08-06. 
3. ^ "BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and RSAMD cement their unique partnership to inspire lasting music legacy in Scotland" (Press release). BBC. 24 November 2009. http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2009/11_november/24/sso.shtml. Retrieved 28 November 2009. 
4. ^ Michael Tumelty (2010-09-13). "TV documentary goes behind the scenes at the BBC SSO". The Herald. http://www.heraldscotland.com/arts-ents/music-features/tv-documentary-goes-behind-the-scenes-at-the-bbc-sso-1.1054833. Retrieved 2010-12-24. 
5. ^ "Tarantula opera waves its web at Maltings". Diss Express. 2009-02-09. http://www.dissexpress.co.uk/lifestyle/tarantula_opera_waves_its_web_at_maltings_1_435065. Retrieved 2010-08-06. 

External links

• Official Jessica Cottis homepage
• Royal Philharmonic Society page on Eric Thompson Trust Grants
• Royal Academy of Music commentary by Cottis
• "Bring on the iterations", On An Overgrown Path blog entry, 22 February 2009
• Royal Academy of Music and Southwark and South London Society of Organists artist biographies
• Orkney Conducting Course alumni page

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Name	Cottis, Jessica
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Date of birth	1979-12-13
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