Jack Capstaff is a dynamic and versatile conductor and composer, currently serving as Music Director of Rotherham Symphony Orchestra and Derwent Brass (Derbyshire), and Principal Conductor of Derby Concert Orchestra.

A graduate of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Jack studied composition with Peter Reynolds, John Hardy, Dr Robert Spearing, and Michael McCartney, alongside conducting studies with Dr John Traill and Anthony Negus, and further consultations with David Jones, Mark Heron, and Philip Ellis.

His compositional work has received international recognition, with commissions from a wide range of ensembles and organisations. Black Diamonds, commissioned by Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band, marked a major anniversary for the ensemble, while Fahla, created in collaboration with Artes Mundi, was premiered by Sinfonia Newydd at the National Museum of Wales. In 2022, Jack returned to Carlton Main to record The Snow Queen, his adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen tale. Narrated by Frank Renton and featuring original animation by Charlotte Capstaff, the production was released digitally in support of charitable causes and was later performed live at The Glasshouse (formerly Sage Gateshead) in November 2024 to critical acclaim.

As a conductor, Jack has worked with some of the finest brass bands in the world, including the Flowers Band, Stavanger Band, and Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band. He has twice been awarded 2nd prize—and was the highest-placed UK participant—at the Association of Brass Band Conductors International Conducting Competition (2018, 2022), and now serves the Association as Special Projects Officer on its Executive Committee.

Under his direction, Derwent Brass has achieved widespread recognition, including consecutive 4barsrest “Band of the Year” nominations (2022, 2023), the Brass Bands England “Innovation Award,” and the Royal Philharmonic Society’s “Inspiration Award” - the first time a brass band has received an RPS Award and has recently, for the first time in its history, attained qualification for the Nation Finals in the Royal Albert hall.

Jack is also an adjudicator with the National Association of Adjudicators, working across regional, national, and entertainment contests throughout the UK as well as working with the Red Admiral Music Academy on their Access to Adjudicating Initiative, providing musicians with the skills and experience to adjudicate. A passionate advocate for innovation in classical music, he regularly delivers seminars on artistic relevance, programming diversity, and audience engagement.

Recent conducting highlights include performances with Rotherham Symphony Orchestra featuring repertoire by Britten, Copland, Brahms, Mendelssohn, and Mussorgsky, alongside a successful tenure with Derby Concert Orchestra. There, Jack has conducted major works including Elgar, Bernstein, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Walton, and Britten. 

His work has also encompasses innovative children’s concerts with animation and narration, festive programmes featuring world premieres, and large-scale crossover performances, including Michael Bublé-inspired Christmas Big Band concerts with guest vocalist James Barrington Stephens, performed to sold-out audiences.

Jack continues to champion innovative programming, cross-genre collaboration, and inclusive musical experiences that reflect the vibrancy and breadth of today’s classical landscape and is delighted to be able to support Brassing Around in their mission to create engaging and accessible content for a wide reaching audience.