Music maestro strikes the right note with BBC show

Warwick's Director of Music, Paul McGrath, will be mentoring Marcus du Sautoy on the BBC's new series 'Maestro at the Opera', starting on Friday 4 May. Paul will mentor the Oxford Professor of Mathematics as he competes to win the opportunity of conducting at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. The first episode will be aired at 9.00pm on Fri 4 May on BBC2 and BBC HD, and will feature four TV and radio personalities competing to take on the prestigious task of conducting a full act of a legendary opera at the Royal Opera House. Paul will be training Marcus to compete against actress Josie Lawrence, DJ Trevor Nelson and 'Strictly' dance judge Craig Revel Horwood. Paul said: "I am thrilled to be part of a TV programme that shows what it is that opera conductors actually do and hopefully some of that will be revealed during the three part series. The big bonus for me is that my 'celeb' student is a fabulous person, and we get on like a house on fire!" Paul will also be conducting Rossini's 'The Barber of Seville' at Warwick Arts Centre on Wednesday 9 and Saturday 12 May with the English Touring Opera. Paul studied at the National Opera Studio, London and won the prestigious conducting fellowship to the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester.