Thomas Rimes. Conductor, composer and musician
Biography
Thomas Rimes was born in Fiji and grew up in Hobart, Tasmania, where he received his early musical training on pianoforte and as a boy chorister in the St. David’s Cathedral Choir. Whilst growing up in Australia, he did a wide range of classical music studies as a pianist, conductor, organist and conductor. During this time Thomas was actively involved in a number of jazz and popular music genres.
After completing studies in Sydney, Australia he moved to the United states in 2002 to study for a Masters Degree in Orchestral Conducting at the University of Memphis. During his two years living in Memphis Thomas studied classical music at the school whilst pursuing his interest in blues and gospel music in various groups around the city. It was also during this time that he began to seriously study opera conducting music through his involvement with the opera studio at the University of Memphis. During his studies he conducted performances of Suor Angelica by Puccini and Il Matrimonio Segreto by Cimarosa. In 2003 he conducted a performance of the world premiere of John Baur’s opera The Promise, based on the life of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., in Germantown, Tennessee.
Between 2002 and 2004 Mr. Rimes was a member of the conducting staff at the New Opera Festival di Roma, where he led orchestral concerts and assisted in the preparation of the festival’s major productions. In 2005 he was the recipient of the Sir Georg Solti U.S. Foundation Award for a young conductor/pianist working in the field of opera.
Between 2003-2006 Thomas lived in New York City where he worked as a pianist/coach/assistant musical director with numerous opera project in the city. He also continued his conducting studies during this time, working with numerous teachers including Maestro David Gilbert at the Manhattan School of Music and Paul Nadler at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. During this time, Thomas also worked actively as a composer, and in March 2006 he finished writing the music to his first full-length opera, The Long Ride Home. He also wrote the story and the libretto to this opera. In April 2006, Thomas presented a premiere performance of this opera in concert form in New York City. He will presenting the premiere performance of this opera on July 25th at the Independent Theatre, North Sydney.
In 2005, Thomas successfully auditioned for Plácido Domingo for a position as a Pianist/Coach in the Domingo/Cafritz Young Artist Program at the Washington National Opera. In the company’s 2007/8 season he worked as Assistant Conductor in productions of Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Verdi’s Rigoletto at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.. In July of 2007, Thomas conducted performances of Mozart’s opera Le Nozze di Figaro at a summer opera festival in Italy. In February, 2008 he was also the Assistant Conductor for a production of Don Giovanni at Opera de Monte-Carlo in Monaco.
Early Influences in Music
Thomas Rimes acquired a love of church music as a boy chorister in the Cathedral Church of St David, Hobart. As a chorister he studied church music under the direction of Dr Ian Burk, Master of Choristers at the Cathedral. The Cathedral Choir provided a rigorous vocal experience which included voice training exercises, opportunities to experience the best of the English “Cathedral tradition” repertoire, sight-reading training and the opportunity to learn a full annual cycle of church music. This experience spanning some five years up to the age of 14 was a pivotal experience in embedding music not as a solo practice in solitary rooms but as a thoroughly team effort.
As a student of prominent Tasmanian piano teacher, Eileen Johnson, Thomas gained an Associate Diploma of Music followed by a Licentiate of Music while still a school student. Undergraduate studies with one of Australia’s finest piano teachers, Beryl Sedivka was part of the rich learning experience afforded to Thomas during his formative years.
A year of international travel and study followed including a period of piano study at the University of Essex where he was a finalist in the University’s performance recital at the end of the year. Thomas commenced organ studies formally when he entered the University of Sydney to read for a Commerce/Law Degree as an undergraduate. He was appointed the Organ Scholar at St Paul’s College, Sydney University where he worked under the supervision of Australia’s master organist, David Drury. He held the position of Organ Scholar from 1995-2000.
During his undergraduate years in Sydney Thomas undertook tuition with Judy Bailey specializing in jazz improvisation. He became the Conductor and Founding Musical Director of the University of Sydney Intercollege Orchestra, 1998-2000. During this period at St Paul’s College Thomas was the repetiteur and performer at the annual Victoriana! Production.
Thomas was appointed as Organ Scholar to St James’ Church King Street in Sydney in 1995. Throughout the two hundred years of ministry at St James, the choir has been regarded as one of the foremost Anglican choirs in Australia. The choir consists of around a dozen semi-professional adult singers. It is particularly known for its presentation of orchestral masses on the last two Sundays of January each year.
As well, Thomas was Organist and Choir Director for one year at St Michael’s Anglican Church Vaucluse, Sydney.
Work in the United States and Europe
After completing a Bachelor’s Degree in Law and Commerce from Sydney University, Thomas moved to Memphis, Tennessee, USA, to begin study for a Masters of Music in conducting at the University of Memphis. He studied both orchestral and operatic conducting with Maestro Pu-Qi Jiang. Tom became involved with the opera workshop, quickly becoming one of their coach/accompanists. He later conducted performances of Puccini’s Suor Angelica, Cimarosa’s Il matrimonio segreto, and was the associate conductor for the world premiere of John Baur’s opera, The Promise.
During summer vacation from university, Tom travelled to Rome, Italy, to participate in the New Operafestival di Roma. He was a student at the festival in 2002, moving up the ranks to staff accompanist in 2003, and then conductor of symphonic concerts in 2003 and 2004. He was the assistant musical director and chorus master for the 2002 production of Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, the 2003 production of Die Zauberflote, and the 2004 production of Don Giovanni.
In March 2003, Thomas was the staff accompanist for the Metropolitan Opera Auditions, regional competition, in Memphis, TN. That same year he was awarded the “Best Performance Award” for his performance of Cimarosa’s Il Matrimonio Segreto with the University of Memphis’ Opera Workshop. Tom also did some accompanying work for the great Memphis soprano Kallen Esperian during his final year in Memphis.
Upon completing his degree at the University of Memphis, Tom moved to New York City. There he began work accompanying and coaching opera singers, and also playing voice lessons for several prominent teachers in NYC. In 2005, Tom was awarded the Sir Georg Solti Foundation award for a young opera conductor/coach. He travelled to Chicago to play in a concert honoring the Sir Georg Solti Foundation, and to recognize his achievement. Also in 2005, Tom began playing for the Mannes School of Music’s Wagner Repertoire Program as a coach/accompanist. There he played many excerpts from works such as Der Ring des Nibelungen, Tannhauser, Lohengrin, and other Wagner works, gaining experience in the Wagner style.
Thomas was awarded the opportunity to join the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program in August 2006, a part of the Washington National Opera in Washington, D.C. During his time with the Young Artist Program he has had the privilege to work with many talented and famous singers, directors and coaches. Tom has been the assistant conductor for Donizetti’s La Fille du Regiment, Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Verdi’s Rigoletto at the Washington National Opera.
In March 2007, tenor Ying-Xi Jiang invited Tom to Beijing to play for a highly publicized concert with him at the Beijing Opera. The sellout concert featured the work of two other singers. He also travelled to Monaco in February 2008 to work on a production of Don Giovanni as the Chef du Chant at the Opera de Monte Carlo with several of the other young artists.
Tom returned to the Washington National Opera in September 2008 to work with the Young Artist program, and also was Assistant Conductor for the Baltimore Opera in Bellini’s Norma and Verdi’s Aida in the 2008/2009 season.
In January 2009, Tom began his contract as solo repetiteur with the Staatstheater Kassel in Germany. In the coming season, Tom will make his German opera conducting debut with performances of Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor in Kassel. In June 2009, Tom made his German conducting debut when he led a performance of Louis Spohr’s String Quartett Concerto with the Vogler Quartet and the orchestra of the Musikakademie Kassel.