Charlie Westbrook graduated from the University of Birmingham with a BMus (Hons) degree, completing a specialism in orchestral conducting in his final year. Charlie is an experienced Percussionist and Violinist and has been involved in the local Peterborough music scene since he was a child, playing with the former Peterborough Youth Bands and Orchestras. 

Charlie has been on tours to Amsterdam and Prague with various ensembles and has played across the UK with the National Scout and Guide Symphony Orchestra. Classical music is Charlie’s forte, but he also holds an interest in traditional musics from across the world, performing with a Bhangra drum ensemble as a child, managing his university Samba band, and completing a dissertation which studied contemporary classical and traditional music from Japan. 

Charlie enjoys going to see orchestral concerts whenever possible and was fortunate to be involved in the first intake of youth ambassadors for the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, planning and promoting a main season concert. This also gave him the opportunity to chair two pre-concert talks on the stage at Symphony Hall, including one with Nicola Benedetti. 

Charlie is excited by the opportunity to build confidence in his conducting skills, alongside the PCO players and is eager to be involved in seeing the orchestra grow and develop. Charlie is keen to welcome new members of all ages, and to join with musicians in discovering, or rekindling the joys of ensemble playing.