Biography

Adam Kornas is currently a final year postgraduate student at the Royal Northern College of Music studying Conducting, having graduated from his composition studies at the Royal College of Music with First Class Honours. In 2012 Adam composed a string quintet that won the inaugural Lord Mayor’s Composition Prize, with a prizewinner’s concert at the Mansion House, London. In June 2014, another performance was given at the Austrian Cultural Forum with a quartet from the Guildhall School of Music, and a cellist from the Mozarteum in Salzburg. Following this performance, Wolfgang Redik, Professor of Chamber Music at the Mozarteum, Salzburg, invited Adam to go to the International Chamber Music Festival in Salzburg for a performance of his winning string quintet. The Lord Mayor’s Composition Award and these two concerts were kindly supported by the Worshipful Company of Musicians.
Univ.Prof.Dr Johannes Meissl, head of Chamber Music at the University of Music in Vienna invited Adam for the latest performance of his string quintet in October 2015, performed by the Adamas Quartet with cellist Richard Isaac from the RNCM in the Haydnsalle of the Univ.Music. Adam attended rehearsals, and spent time in Vienna to study the Viennese music scene. The Master of the Musicians’ Company was also a Guest of Honour at the concert in Vienna.
Other commissions have included an orchestral work titled Shangaan, commissioned by Catherine Perkins and premiered by the Liverpool Mozart Orchestra; and two ballets for KSDance. The fruitful collaboration between Adam and KSDance began in 2014 and resulted in the ballet The King and Mrs Simpson being premiered in April 2014. Both the music and production were critically acclaimed of this production that was based on the tensions surrounding the abdication of King Edward VIII. Most recently Adam was commissioned by KSDance to write a score for a new production of the tale recorded by Brothers Grimm, Hansel and Gretel. Adam is very grateful to the PRS for Music Foundation for making this project possible through their funding. Hansel and Gretel was premiered on 24th February and has since been workshopped in schools in the Northwest Region.
Nearing the end of his Master’s degree at Royal Northern College of Music, and still at the early age of 24, Adam is gaining experience and recognition as a conductor of a wide range of repertoire. In the last two years he has assisted conductors such as Juanjo Mena, Vasily Petrenko, Gianandrea Noseda and John Storgards at the BBC Philharmonic and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Adam has also directed the Stockport Symphony Orchestra in concert and will soon be conducting the Manchester Camerata in Chester. Most recently he conducted a performance of Upon All The Notes with composer Sir Harrison Birtwistle present. Adam will be conducting this work again at the Wigmore Hall in May 2016.