Craig Roberts
Craig studied at the United Kingdom's University of Salford, gaining first his BA (Hons) then Masters degree there, studying with Dr Roy Newsome, Dr Peter Graham and Prof David King. Whilst at the university, Craig was awarded the Roy Newsome conducting prize as the outstanding undergraduate conductor of the academic year 2000
Within the UK, Craig has performed in most of the country’s finest concert halls including the Royal Festival Hall, Royal Albert Hall and Royal Academy of Music, London; Symphony Hall, Birmingham; Bridgewater Hall, Manchester; The Lowry, Salford; Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool; St George's, Bristol; Brangwyn Hall, Swansea; Wales Millennium Centre, St David’s Hall, RWCMD Dora Stouzker Hall, BBC Hoddinott Hall, and Principality Stadium, Cardiff
Craig has also frequently worked overseas, touring across five continents to Australia, Belgium, Canada, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Libya, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Ukraine and the United States of America
Craig has worked on a wide variety of large scale and innovative concert projects both at home and abroad, ranging from the closing event of the London 2012 Olympic Park through a wide variety of major international performances and festivals. He has worked with some of the world's leading performers, including the Samara Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet Symphony Orchestra; Don Cossack, Russian Cossack, Nalmes and Russian State Ballet Companies; the Stadtorchester, Kreisverband & Jugendblasorchester Ravensburg, Stadtkapelle Nurtingen and Musikkapelle Thanheim of Germany; Errollyn Wallen and the Welsh National Opera Company; Joji Hirota & the Japanese Taiko Drummers; Tim A. Duncan & the Russian Imperial Ice Stars; and more
Through his work with the Welsh Proms, Craig also worked on and managed events featuring the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Philharmonia, Bournemouth Symphony, BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Welsh National Opera Orchestra. In 2014, he also worked on production of the Dylan Thomas Centenary Gala held at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank, which featured Griff Rhys Jones, Hugh Bonneville DL, Tom Hollander, Dame Sian Phillips DBE, Sir Jonathan Pryce CBE, Owen Teale, Owain Arwel Hughes CBE and Camerata Wales
Soloists Craig has worked with to date include Sir Bryn Terfel, Shan Cothi, Kerry Ellis, Rebecca Evans CBE, Wynne Evans BEM MStJ, Catrin Finch, Lesley Garrett CBE, Claire Jones, John Owen-Jones, Peter Karrie, John Lill CBE, Chris Marshall and James Watson. Craig has also commissioned and premiered music from a wealth of leading composers including Sir Karl Jenkins, Paul Mealor LVO CStJ FRSA CLJ, Edward Gregson, Chris Marshall, Andrew Powell, Gareth Wood and many more
Throughout his career, Craig has directed a wide variety of leading bands and choirs in performance, including the Black Dyke, Brighouse & Rastrick and Leyland brass bands; a wealth of international military bands, including the Band of Her Majesty’s Grenadier Guards; and numerous choirs ranging from Only Men Aloud to the Yurlov Russian State Academic Chorus. Within Wales, Craig has conducted the majority of the top brass bands, including the former world number one brass band, Cory, who Craig guest conducted for the Golden Jubilee procession through London of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. He has also been successful in musical competition at the highest level, winning the Welsh League Championship on three occasions (2006, 2009 and 2011) with three different bands, and has won every contest in the Welsh League at championship level. Craig was named Conductor of the Year 2004 by the SEWBBA and WWBBA, and in 2024 directed City of Bristol Brass Band to become the West of England First Section Champions
For a number of years, Craig was Director of Music of the Woods Mfg Co Brass Band based in Stittsville, Ontario, Canada, and directed the band at several of the world’s largest military festivals, including the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo in Halifax, Canada; the Virginia International Tattoo in Norfolk, USA; the Netherlands Nationale Taptoe in Breda, Holland, and the Polizei Show of Hamburg, Germany. Craig later became Assistant Director of the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo, working with the world’s largest annual indoor show for a period of 20 years, until resigning from the show in June 2018
Craig has worked as Production Consultant to a wide range of large scale international events, including the Canadian Beating Retreat “Fortissimo”, held annually on Parliament Hill, Ottawa, Ontario (2007-10), and the Kremlin Zoria Festival, the first Tattoo to be held in Moscow's Red Square, Russia (2007). He was also Director of Music and Production Consultant for the World Military Music Festival held in Green Square, Tripoli, Libya in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Libyan Arab Jamahereya and 10th anniversary of the African Union (2009), a show which featured over 1000 performers from 18 different nations, was televised internationally, and attended by over 200 international heads of state
Craig also acted as Director of Music and Production Consultant for the Mediterranean International Festival of Arts and International Tattoo held in Crete, Greece (2010 & 2011), and in 2013 visited Kharkiv, Ukraine to undertake a major parade and performances in the presence of the Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, marking the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the region from occupation in 1943
In 2015, Craig tour-managed and featured as narrator in the Grimethorpe Colliery Band's 10 date nationwide concert tour of Australia covering Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide, Tasmania, Melbourne, Perth and more. In 2017 and 2019, he then returned to Russia to work on the famed May 9th Immortal Regiment Parade in Red Square, Moscow. The parade consisted of over a million people in Moscow alone, with over 2 million people participating nationwide. In addition to Moscow, Craig has also travelled to Krasnodar and the Crimean Peninsula in 2018/19, and returned to Russia to participate in the Arctic Brotherhood 80th anniversary events in Murmansk in 2022, and a Song Festival and cultural conferences in Samara in 2023
Since 2018, Craig has acted as a Consultant | Advisor to the Musikfest Der Bundeswehr in Dusseldorf, Germany and in September 2020, also took up the post of Principal Director of Music to the Estes Park Tattoo in Colorado, USA. From 2021 onward, Craig then took up the post of Director at the newly branded Estes Park International Tattoo
Craig has been the recipient of a number of awards and honours including the Mayor of Rhondda Cynon Taf's Good Citizen Award for Artistic Achievement, which he was presented with for services to music, the arts, education and charitable causes in May 2018. In August 2018, he was also awarded the Talent & Vocation Medal as a Worldwide Charitable Alliance Peacemaker by the International Coordination Council for the Development and Promotion of the Ideas of Peace in a ceremony at the iconic Vorontsov Palace in Alupka. In May 2019, Craig accepted a second award from the Mayor of Rhondda Cynon Taf, in his capacity as Director of the pioneering work of the Rhondda Arts Festival (RAFT). He was also awarded the Grand Order of Al Fateh, First Class in September 2009 for his work as Director of Music of the World Military Music Festival
Craig has formerly held the positions of Artistic Director to the Welsh Brass Arts Festival, Wales Development Manager to Making Music (the national support body for UK voluntary music), Executive Officer of the UK National School Band Association (NSBA) and General Manager of Wales' national classical music festival, the Welsh Proms Cymru. In November 2018, Craig took up the post of Director to the Rhondda Arts Festival (RAFT), where he worked with artists such as Sir Tony Robinson, Omid Djalili, Kerry Ellis and more. In August 2021, Craig then took up the position of Business Development & Marketing Officer to St Elvan's, Cynon Valley, a remarkable £2 million venue development comprising a performance venue, exhibition and meeting spaces, licensed coffee shop and continued place of worship
Formerly a longstanding member of the Executive Council of Music Centre Wales, Ty Cerdd, and the Board of Directors of both Community Music Wales and Charlie Barber's "Sound Affairs", Craig was also Vice Chair at the Senedd of the Cross Party Group for Music for the Welsh Government. He is currently Vice Chair of Rhondda Cynon Taf International Twinning and also a Trustee of the famed Grimethorpe Colliery Band. Craig also holds the post of Musical Director with Lewis Merthyr Band, City of Bristol Brass Band and Symphonic Brass Wales
He remains a leading freelance arts management and funding consultant, continuing to work with a variety of leading artistic projects both home and abroad
Within the UK, Craig has performed in most of the country’s finest concert halls including the Royal Festival Hall, Royal Albert Hall and Royal Academy of Music, London; Symphony Hall, Birmingham; Bridgewater Hall, Manchester; The Lowry, Salford; Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool; St George's, Bristol; Brangwyn Hall, Swansea; Wales Millennium Centre, St David’s Hall, RWCMD Dora Stouzker Hall, BBC Hoddinott Hall, and Principality Stadium, Cardiff
Craig has also frequently worked overseas, touring across five continents to Australia, Belgium, Canada, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Libya, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Ukraine and the United States of America
Craig has worked on a wide variety of large scale and innovative concert projects both at home and abroad, ranging from the closing event of the London 2012 Olympic Park through a wide variety of major international performances and festivals. He has worked with some of the world's leading performers, including the Samara Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet Symphony Orchestra; Don Cossack, Russian Cossack, Nalmes and Russian State Ballet Companies; the Stadtorchester, Kreisverband & Jugendblasorchester Ravensburg, Stadtkapelle Nurtingen and Musikkapelle Thanheim of Germany; Errollyn Wallen and the Welsh National Opera Company; Joji Hirota & the Japanese Taiko Drummers; Tim A. Duncan & the Russian Imperial Ice Stars; and more
Through his work with the Welsh Proms, Craig also worked on and managed events featuring the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Philharmonia, Bournemouth Symphony, BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Welsh National Opera Orchestra. In 2014, he also worked on production of the Dylan Thomas Centenary Gala held at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank, which featured Griff Rhys Jones, Hugh Bonneville DL, Tom Hollander, Dame Sian Phillips DBE, Sir Jonathan Pryce CBE, Owen Teale, Owain Arwel Hughes CBE and Camerata Wales
Soloists Craig has worked with to date include Sir Bryn Terfel, Shan Cothi, Kerry Ellis, Rebecca Evans CBE, Wynne Evans BEM MStJ, Catrin Finch, Lesley Garrett CBE, Claire Jones, John Owen-Jones, Peter Karrie, John Lill CBE, Chris Marshall and James Watson. Craig has also commissioned and premiered music from a wealth of leading composers including Sir Karl Jenkins, Paul Mealor LVO CStJ FRSA CLJ, Edward Gregson, Chris Marshall, Andrew Powell, Gareth Wood and many more
Throughout his career, Craig has directed a wide variety of leading bands and choirs in performance, including the Black Dyke, Brighouse & Rastrick and Leyland brass bands; a wealth of international military bands, including the Band of Her Majesty’s Grenadier Guards; and numerous choirs ranging from Only Men Aloud to the Yurlov Russian State Academic Chorus. Within Wales, Craig has conducted the majority of the top brass bands, including the former world number one brass band, Cory, who Craig guest conducted for the Golden Jubilee procession through London of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. He has also been successful in musical competition at the highest level, winning the Welsh League Championship on three occasions (2006, 2009 and 2011) with three different bands, and has won every contest in the Welsh League at championship level. Craig was named Conductor of the Year 2004 by the SEWBBA and WWBBA, and in 2024 directed City of Bristol Brass Band to become the West of England First Section Champions
For a number of years, Craig was Director of Music of the Woods Mfg Co Brass Band based in Stittsville, Ontario, Canada, and directed the band at several of the world’s largest military festivals, including the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo in Halifax, Canada; the Virginia International Tattoo in Norfolk, USA; the Netherlands Nationale Taptoe in Breda, Holland, and the Polizei Show of Hamburg, Germany. Craig later became Assistant Director of the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo, working with the world’s largest annual indoor show for a period of 20 years, until resigning from the show in June 2018
Craig has worked as Production Consultant to a wide range of large scale international events, including the Canadian Beating Retreat “Fortissimo”, held annually on Parliament Hill, Ottawa, Ontario (2007-10), and the Kremlin Zoria Festival, the first Tattoo to be held in Moscow's Red Square, Russia (2007). He was also Director of Music and Production Consultant for the World Military Music Festival held in Green Square, Tripoli, Libya in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Libyan Arab Jamahereya and 10th anniversary of the African Union (2009), a show which featured over 1000 performers from 18 different nations, was televised internationally, and attended by over 200 international heads of state
Craig also acted as Director of Music and Production Consultant for the Mediterranean International Festival of Arts and International Tattoo held in Crete, Greece (2010 & 2011), and in 2013 visited Kharkiv, Ukraine to undertake a major parade and performances in the presence of the Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, marking the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the region from occupation in 1943
In 2015, Craig tour-managed and featured as narrator in the Grimethorpe Colliery Band's 10 date nationwide concert tour of Australia covering Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide, Tasmania, Melbourne, Perth and more. In 2017 and 2019, he then returned to Russia to work on the famed May 9th Immortal Regiment Parade in Red Square, Moscow. The parade consisted of over a million people in Moscow alone, with over 2 million people participating nationwide. In addition to Moscow, Craig has also travelled to Krasnodar and the Crimean Peninsula in 2018/19, and returned to Russia to participate in the Arctic Brotherhood 80th anniversary events in Murmansk in 2022, and a Song Festival and cultural conferences in Samara in 2023
Since 2018, Craig has acted as a Consultant | Advisor to the Musikfest Der Bundeswehr in Dusseldorf, Germany and in September 2020, also took up the post of Principal Director of Music to the Estes Park Tattoo in Colorado, USA. From 2021 onward, Craig then took up the post of Director at the newly branded Estes Park International Tattoo
Craig has been the recipient of a number of awards and honours including the Mayor of Rhondda Cynon Taf's Good Citizen Award for Artistic Achievement, which he was presented with for services to music, the arts, education and charitable causes in May 2018. In August 2018, he was also awarded the Talent & Vocation Medal as a Worldwide Charitable Alliance Peacemaker by the International Coordination Council for the Development and Promotion of the Ideas of Peace in a ceremony at the iconic Vorontsov Palace in Alupka. In May 2019, Craig accepted a second award from the Mayor of Rhondda Cynon Taf, in his capacity as Director of the pioneering work of the Rhondda Arts Festival (RAFT). He was also awarded the Grand Order of Al Fateh, First Class in September 2009 for his work as Director of Music of the World Military Music Festival
Craig has formerly held the positions of Artistic Director to the Welsh Brass Arts Festival, Wales Development Manager to Making Music (the national support body for UK voluntary music), Executive Officer of the UK National School Band Association (NSBA) and General Manager of Wales' national classical music festival, the Welsh Proms Cymru. In November 2018, Craig took up the post of Director to the Rhondda Arts Festival (RAFT), where he worked with artists such as Sir Tony Robinson, Omid Djalili, Kerry Ellis and more. In August 2021, Craig then took up the position of Business Development & Marketing Officer to St Elvan's, Cynon Valley, a remarkable £2 million venue development comprising a performance venue, exhibition and meeting spaces, licensed coffee shop and continued place of worship
Formerly a longstanding member of the Executive Council of Music Centre Wales, Ty Cerdd, and the Board of Directors of both Community Music Wales and Charlie Barber's "Sound Affairs", Craig was also Vice Chair at the Senedd of the Cross Party Group for Music for the Welsh Government. He is currently Vice Chair of Rhondda Cynon Taf International Twinning and also a Trustee of the famed Grimethorpe Colliery Band. Craig also holds the post of Musical Director with Lewis Merthyr Band, City of Bristol Brass Band and Symphonic Brass Wales
He remains a leading freelance arts management and funding consultant, continuing to work with a variety of leading artistic projects both home and abroad
Contact Craig here