Tom Worley began his studies as a pianist at the age of five and took it seriously throughout his teens where he realised that he was also capable in other aspects of musicianship such as composing, conducting and improvisation in which he excels.
From fourteen years old he was taking piano lessons from Kate Miller in Bristol, earning prizes for concerto competitions and taking part in master classes. By the age of nineteen he had already directed three musicals: the Wiz, Guys and Dolls and Grease. He had directed a Bach Keyboard Concerto and had been commissioned to write and conduct an arrangement of the James bond themes for voice and full orchestra for the Backwell Festival.
In 1997 he won a place at Trinity College of Music London to study with Professor Hilary Coates. In 2001 he graduated with a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance. Trinity awarded him with a first class honours and a Silver Medal for obtaining the highest score in his department for his final mark. He also proved his diligence by winning the Cyril Cork Prize for “commitment to supporting studies” this included conducting and history and analysis. He demonstrated his versatility by coming second place in the Gladys Puttick Memorial Prize for improvisation. During his time at Trinity he formed his own choir to sing the B minor mass amongst other works. He also took part in a conducting course for a year where he had to conduct Don Giovanni.
Tom thrives in baroque and 20th century music. He has performed and conducted Bach Keyboard Concertos nos.1&4 in London and directed a full programme of the music of Bach for the 250th anniversary of his death. He is also the harpsichordist for the Clifton College Baroque Ensemble.
He has also enjoyed raising money for charity: The “Bach Programme” that he directed in London raised money for Breast Cancer Research; and outside the music world he raised £480 for the British Epilepsy Association. He has also taken part in various charity concerts in and around Bristol.
Tom then went on to study for his Masters in Piano performance at Southern Methodist University in the U.S.A. under the distinguished Professor Alfred Mouledous, alumnus of the prestigious pedagogues Walter Gieseking and Alfred Cortot. He then furthered his stay in the U.S.A. by working for 5 months as a piano teacher and free-lance musician.
Tom is currently leading Melksham Choral Society. Since September ’06 when he joined they have sung Handel’s Messiah and have also performed the C Minor Mass by Mozart, also Mozart’s Requiem and Vivaldi’s Gloria.
Tom also directed the Marriage of Figaro in the summer of 2008 with White Horse Opera.