Owen Elsley

Director of Music

Our Director of Music, Owen Elsley, is an international Australian singer, conductor, composer, and instrumentalist currently based in Cambridge. 

Born in Newcastle, NSW, Australia, Owen moved to Sydney to study Science and Mathematics at the University of Sydney before moving to the University of Cambridge, where he completed his Master of Music in Choral Studies in 2020. During his time at Cambridge, Owen was a Choral Scholar and then Lay Clerk with the Choir of King’s College, where he was also Musical Director of The King’s Men. He has sung as an ensemble member and soloist with many professional groups in the UK, Europe, and Australia, including Voces8; the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; Collegium Vocale, Gent; The Song Company; the Armonico Consort; the Choirs of St Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Cathedral, and Westminster Abbey; the Choir of St James’ Church, King St; Sydney Antiphony; Pinchgut Opera; and Cantillation. 

From 2022–24, Owen was the Assistant Director of Music for Choirs at St Barnabas, Dulwich, where he played an integral part in the Parish, Children’s, and Youth Choirs. Owen has a passion for music education and accessibility, and has worked with several children’s, youth and community choirs, including as Musical Director of the Chesterton Choral Society; pianist and conductor for the Cambridge-based King’s Junior Voices, with whom he also leads a choir for singers with changing voices; and conductor, accompanist, tutor, and operations coordinator at Gondwana Choirs, Australia’s national youth choir.

He has completed his A.Mus.A in Piano Performance and is also an award-winning composer and arranger whose music has been performed by many ensembles, including the Vienna Boys’ Choir; the Choir of Jesus College, Cambridge; Gondwana Choirs; the Song Company; the Choir of St James’ Church, Sydney; the Choir of Trinity College, Melbourne; the Choir of St Paul’s College, Sydney; and the Hunter Singers. Additionally, Owen has a love of music-theatre and has been an actor, director, and repetiteur for numerous dramatic productions.