Bruce Lamott serves as Philharmonia’s Scholar-in-Residence and was director of the Philharmonia Chorale from 1997 to 2020. He first performed with the Orchestra in 1989 as continuo harpsichordist for Handel’s Giustino. In his 30-year tenure with the Carmel Bach Festival, he served as a harpsichordist, lecturer, choral director, and conductor of the Mission Candlelight Concerts. As the founding director of the Sacramento Symphony Chorus, he conducted annual choral concerts of major symphonic choral works and prepared the Symphony Chorus for their subscription season.

Lamott received a bachelor’s degree from Lewis and Clark College, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in musicology from Stanford. His teaching career began on the musicology faculty at UC Davis where he directed the Early Music Ensemble. He recently retired San Francisco University High School, where he had directed the choir and orchestra and taught Western Civilization for 36 years. As a professor of music history at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music since 2001, Dr. Lamott specializes in the vocal and instrumental repertoire of the 18th century. He teaches continuo-playing for the coach-accompanists in the San Francisco Opera’s Merola Opera Program and lectures for the Opera and Opera Guild’s education programs.

Announced on November 2, 2020, Bruce Lamott retired as Chorale Director of PBO after 23 years. Read the press release here.