MUSICAL DIRECTOR

Cole Bendall is known for bold programming, imaginative staging, and a compelling musical presence on the podium. He works predominantly in choral and symphonic repertoire, with a growing reputation working with youth choirs and on interdisciplinary projects. Equally at home in traditional and unconventional spaces, Cole brings energy, clarity, and narrative depth to every performance, deriving joy from the stories and techniques behind high-quality music-making.

Now based in London, Cole is the Music Director of Reigate & Redhill Choral Society and Holmbury St Mary Choral Society alongside his role for Woking Choral Society. Previous roles include working with Brockham Choral and Surrey County Youth Choir. Recent orchestral engagements include collaborations with the Academy of Ancient Music, Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra, Covent Garden Sinfonia, Southern Pro Musica, British Sinfonietta, and Amadeus Orchestra. He recently conducted the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir as part of the European Choral Association’s Leading Voices Festival at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre.

Career highlights include collaborations with the Rundfunkchor Berlin and the Turkish State Choir, masterclasses with the Hallé Choir, New Dublin Voices, and Epiphoni, as well as a Symphonic Conducting Fellowship at the Miami Beach Classical Music Festival (USA). As founder and Artistic Director of The Reid Consort from 2016-22, he earned national acclaim for daring, high-impact performances in Scotland.

Alongside his conducting work, Cole is a sought-after educator and animateur, known for designing and delivering high-impact vocal and choral programmes for singers of all ages. He works as Music Staff of the National Youth Choir, leads educational programmes for Pimlico Musical Foundation, and teaches singing at Cranleigh School. He is also a cover conductor with London Youth Choirs.

Cole also creates training resources in musicianship, vocal health, conducting, and music history for organisations including ABRSM, Surrey Arts, and a wide range of external partners. His work has been recognised by the Association of British Choral Directors, the Association of Teachers of Singing, and Help Musicians UK. A prize-winning graduate of the Universities of Aberdeen and Edinburgh, Cole has held academic and performance roles at St Andrews and Edinburgh, and contributes writing to The Choral Journal, Oxford University Press, and on his Substack, You Set the Tone.