ARTHUR ARNOLD
The Netherlands' conductor Arthur Arnold, Music Director and Conductor of the Symphony & Opera Academy of the Pacific (SOAP) made his debut with the Moscow Symphony Orchestra in the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam with soloists from the Bolshoi Theatre in the summer of 2001. It was a tremendous success, spawning the acclaim, "-Arthur Arnold: a promise- Arnold has a comfortable and extremely musical beat and maintains inspiring eye contact with the musicians", and earning this an immediate encore invitation for both Arnold and the orchestra a mere two weeks later. Upon performing expanded Russian repertoire, the national newspaper N.R.C. wrote: "Arthur Arnold radiates serenity and natural authority. He conducted the great repertoire in grand style and in tranquil tempi that allowed the typical Russian sound of the orchestra to flourish, thanks to an excellent balance... Arnold succeeded to immediately achieve a great musical tension and thrilling atmosphere. The musical build up was magisterial. It's almost impossible to ruin Tchaikovsky's love-theme but played like tonight it is one of the most beautiful melodies ever written."
Soon after the successes in Amsterdam, Arnold was appointed principal guest conductor of the Moscow Symphony Orchestra. They were invited back to the Netherlands in 2002, 2003 and 2004 and continue to delight audiences in Russia's famous Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatory.

Arnold's talent remains in demand as he conducts orchestras throughout Europe, North America and Asia, including numerous repeat engagements in South Korea as principal guest conductor for the Seoul National Symphony Orchestra. In his home country, The Netherlands, Arnold has conducted the Netherlands Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Arnhem Philharmonic Orchestra, the North Netherlands Orchestra, Holland Symfonia, the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Opera Minora, the Raduga Ensemble and the Nieuw Ensemble, with whom he toured to the 2002 Asian Contemporary Music Festival. Arnold is frequently featured in national radio interviews and performances, often performing
with the Moscow Symphony Orchestra.

Under his guidance as Music Director, the Symphony Orchestra of the Pacific and the Opera of the Pacific have grown in richness and breadth, motivating Arnold to invest an increasing portion of his time in Canada, where he also conducted the Victoria Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestra of the Glenn Gould School of Music. Arnold appears in the recently released musical film 'A Single Passion, A Thousand Voices', a documentary by Avanti Pictures about the International Choral Festival 'Kathaumixw', of which he has been the Orchestra Conductor and a jury member since 2000.

In addition to the ongoing partnerships in Russia, The Netherlands, South Korea, and Canada, Arnold frequents Romania where he conducts the Transylvania State Philharmonic Orchestra and the Tirgu Mures State Philharmonic Orchestra. His conducting career has also spanned the countries of Italy, Great Britain, Poland and the United States.

Arnold formally studied conducting with Anton Kersjes in the Netherlands and undertook practical training with Marcello Viotti, Jean Fournet and Graeme Jenkins. In 1996 he received the "Prins Bernhard Foundation" award to study at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena (Italy) with Myung-Whun Chung, and was later honoured with the Busenhart Morgan-Evans award to participate in master classes with Jorma Panula, Diego Masson, and Gianluigi Gelmetti. During Dartington's International Summer School of Music, Arnold conducted three major operas - Rigoletto, Don Giovanni and Falstaff.

From 1997 -- 2003 Arthur Arnold was the assistant conductor to the critically acclaimed Hans Vonk. He assisted the maestro with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra (USA), Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam, the Rotterdam Philharmonic
Orchestra, the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra Holland, the Netherlands Radio Symphony
Orchestra and the Netherlands Opera."