Kevin Purcell has served as a musical director and conductor for opera, classical music and musical theatre for over 35 years in the USA, Europe and Australia. Kevin is the music and artistic director of the Australian Discovery Orchestra; the country’s most innovative professional symphony orchestra, comprising an exceptional roster of sixty-five players drawn from across Australia. As a musical director, Kevin has previously been associated with the original production of CATS (1995-96) at the New London Theatre as well as for the South Korean Premiere production (2003). More recently Kevin has conducted WICKED at London’s Apollo Victoria theatre and was the originating musical director for the first national UK/Eire tour (2013). As an arranger and orchestrator, Kevin is much sought after for his American Songbook orchestrations. His arrangements have been performed by leading orchestras including the National Symphony Orchestra (Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts), New York City Opera, New York Pops, Boston Pops and by artists including, Marvin Hamlisch, Stephen Schwartz, Kristin Chenoweth, Liz and Ann Hampton Callaway, Raúl Esparza, Victor Garber, Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, and numerous other A-list Broadway artists.
In collaboration with Victor Kazan (book & lyrics) Kevin has scored three musicals: Rebecca (2004), The Stranger from Seville (2013 New York Music Theatre Festival Grand Jury Selection; 2018 2nd. Florida Festival of New Musicals) and Castle Gillian (2022). Castle Gillian is the world’s first, online 360˚ VR musical available to be viewed on all smart devices and VR/AR headsets. To date, it is the recipient of five major international film festivals awards.
Kevin originally studied conducting at the Moscow Conservatory (USSR) with subsequent graduate conducting studies at the Janáček Academy of Music (CZ) as well as Bard College (USA) under the mentorship of Harold Farberman. Awards include: GOI-IES Scholarship (Ireland, 2021); Australian Music Foundation in London Sir Charles Mackerras Conductor Prize (1994 & 1995); Tait Memorial Trust Award (London 1996); Opera Australia Willem van Otterloo Scholarship (1993) and Bellhouse Conducting Prize (1993). He holds two doctoral degrees in Music (Conducting & Composition).