Stephen Layton is renowned for his exceptional musicianship and for the vitality of his performances.In recent collaborations with composers, Layton has given first performances of music by Sir John Tavener, Arvo Pärt and Thomas Adès. This season Stephen Layton makes his debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the London Philharmonic and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestras. He has worked with major orchestras from the the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and the Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra, to the Australian Chamber Orchestra, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and the Academy of Ancient Music. Founder and conductor of Polyphony, Music Director of the Holst Singers, Director of Music at The Temple, Layton is Principal Conductor of the Netherlands Chamber Choir and Chief Guest Conductor of the Danish National Choir. Layton's eclectic and award-winning discography includes music by Adès, Britten, Cornelius, Grainger, Gretchaninov, Holst, Macmillan, Pärt, Rutter, Schnittke, Tavener and Walton. In 2001 his Hyperion recording of music by Britten (CDA67140) received a Gramophone Award and the Diapason d'Or in France for best choral disc of the year.