Marcus Pashley read Music at Manchester University developing a passion for working with choirs. In Manchester he directed and considerably developed the work of the University Chamber Choir, founded the New Manchester Bach Ensemble and won the university’s coveted Sir Thomas Beecham Medal for achievement in music.

He has held the posts of Music Director of the Bradford Choristers and subsequently Chorus Director of Central Festival Opera preparing performances of Puccini: La Boheme and Bizet: Carmen for Opera Holland Park. As a founder member of the 1993 BBC Choir of the Year Canzonetta, he has performed throughout the UK and abroad.

From 1998-2004 he was Director of Music at Kimbolton School in Cambridgeshire, also holding the post of Musical Director of the Huntingdonshire Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus. He has also appeared as guest conductor for Harrogate Choral Society and the Manchester Camerata. Marcus enjoys engagements as a baritone soloist in addition to his work as a conductor and adjudicator with a repertoire covering many of the major choral works. Recent engagements have included Brahms: Ein deutsches Requiem at Trinity College, Cambridge. He has been a tutor in conducting at the Association of British Choral Directors Annual Conference and has been a tutor on both the Harrogate Choral Week and Cranleigh Choral Week since the beginning.

Marcus is currently Director of Music at Cranleigh School and Musical Director of Cranleigh Choral Society. Recent conducting projects in this capacity have included Bartok: Piano Concerto No. 3 and the Bruch: Violin Concerto, both with Cranleigh pupils as soloists, Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 2, Handel: Messiah, Dvorak: Te Deum and Brahms: Ein deutsches Requiem. He has also recently undertaken the musical direction of a major production of Les Misérables.