Conducting

Leslie has been conducting opera and choral works in and around Bristol since 1986. He is co-founder the of AMICI Chamber Group and from 1990-1997 was Musical Director of the Bristol Opera Company. He is currently Musical Director of the Bristol Phoenix Choir and for them has recently conducted:  Bach’s St. Matthew Passion and Mass in B minor, Handel’s Messiah, Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius, the Requiems by Mozart and Fauré and works by contemporary composers John Tavener, Morten Lauridsen, Eric Whitacre and Arvo Pärt.

A performance of Bach's St. Matthew Passion at St.George's, Bristol received the following review from the Bristol Evening Post :

The warm intimacy of expression in the chorales was spellbinding and it contrasted with the almost crazed rabble in the crowd scenes. The choir also put both these feelings over to the audience with a great deal of skill. The Emerald Ensemble were excellent accompanists, with strong obligato playing, and Leslie Bunt, the conductor, led his large forces with a wonderfully human approach which brought out all the emotional feelings within the work.

In September 2010 Leslie organised a celebration of 50 years of the British Society of Music Therapy and 40 years of the first music therapy training at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London.  He conducted an orchestra of music therapists and colleagues at St. Luke’s, London including concertos played by music therapists and Beethoven’s 5th Piano Concerto (‘Emperor’) played by Malcolm Troup (formerly Professor of Music at City University).

On September 12 2011 Leslie will be conducting a group of Italian music therapists and colleagues at an awareness-raising concert in Bologna, Italy.

For details of forthcoming concerts please visit Bristol Phoenix Choir or go to the News Page.