Alan Cook is a conductor, opera coach, organist, and musicologist with many years of experience across a wide range of sacred, chamber, operatic, and symphonic repertoire who, on the podium, is described as giving “…clear direction…. producing a lush, richly coloured soundscape” and “[He] communicated with the musicians with an emotional conducting style. Nobility and impressive contact with both orchestra and soloists became the key to successful artistic results". A graduate of both music and theology, he began music at the organ and developed his career as organist and choir master before completing a Grad.Dip. in Opera (VCA) as a repetiteur and Masters in Conducting. He won scholarships to study in Italy with Bruno Aprea of the Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia, Rome, during which time he also participated in international masterclasses and festivals conducting operatic masterpieces in such as Aida, L’Elisir d'Amore, Pagliacci, and Cavalleria Rusticana. During his ten-year sojourn in Europe, he performed in many countries including Austria, Italy, Spain, Ukraine, and Russia among others as both accompanist and conductor. He also worked extensively as an opera coach to many international singers including at the Liceu Opera of Barcelona where he was resident, and at the Puccini Festival in Torre del Lago. He was Principal Guest Conductor of orchestras in Ukraine and Russia for an extended period during which time he developed an expertise in Russian repertoire and language. Returning to Australia in 2014 with fluency in four languages, Alan took up roles with various companies and commenced a PhD on the operas of Rimsky-Korsakov, he also continued his coaching freelance with classical voices from VCE, conservatory and professional levels. He was Music Director of CitiOpera (2017-18), Artistic Director of More Than Opera (2016-2023), and Music Director of the Melbourne Chamber Choir (2016-2024). Recent performances include the Australian premiere of Kashchey the Immortal by Rimsky-Korsakov at the Melbourne Recital Centre, masterclasses in Russian repertoire for singers, and performances of Bach’s St John’s Passion, Rachmaninov Vespers, Die Fledermaus, and La Boheme. He also presented a paper at the 175th Anniversary Conference of Rimsky-Korsakov’s birth in St Petersburg as well as a performance of Mozart and Haydn piano concertos in Russia. In October 2019 he performed a concert of Rimsky-Korsakov, Borodin, and Mozart with the National Capital Orchestra, Canberra and in 2020, he conducted the Voices of St Petersburg gala concert in Melbourne with soloists of the Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg, as well as took masterclasses for XL Arts and a conducting summer school with More Than Opera. In 2022 he was guest conductor at the Kantata Festival in Kaliningrad, and with the Yaroslavl Philharmonic Orchestra in Russia. Since 2022 he has been the Music Director at St Patrick’s Mentone with which he has directed and performed many works including masses by Mozart, Gounod, Delibes, Schubert, as well as many sacred polyphonic works.