Cole Bendall is a London-based conductor known for bold programming, imaginative staging, and a compelling musical presence on the podium. He works in choral and symphonic repertoire, with a growing reputation for interdisciplinary and site-responsive work.

Recent engagements include collaborations with the Academy of Ancient Music, Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra, Covent Garden Sinfonia, Southern Pro Musica, British Sinfonietta, and Amadeus Orchestra. In 2025–26, he works with the London Mozart Players on Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius, Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir on music by Arvo Pärt and Veljo Tormis, and appears as an Emerging Artist with Pro Coro Canada on music for choir and electronics. Previous highlights include masterclasses with Rundfunkchor Berlin, Hallé Choir, and the Turkish State Choir, alongside a Symphonic Conducting Fellowship at Miami Beach Classical Music Festival (USA).

Cole is the Music Director of Reigate & Redhill Choral Society, Woking Choral Society, and Holmbury St Mary Choral Society. He also serves on the Music Staff of the National Youth Choir, leads educational programmes for Pimlico Musical Foundation, and teaches singing at Cranleigh School. His work with The Reid Consort—a pre-professional ensemble based in Scotland—earned national acclaim for its daring, high-impact performances, including Arvo Pärt’s PASSIO and his own staged-and-devised PATCHWORK REQUIEM. Other major recent projects include Verdi Requiem, Haydn The Seasons, Smyth Mass in D, Roth A Time to Dance, and a bespoke reduced orchestration of Elgar’s The Music Makers.

Alongside his conducting work, Cole is a sought-after educator and animateur, known for designing and delivering high-impact vocal and choral programmes for singers of all ages. He has led projects for English National Opera, Grange Park Opera, London Youth Choirs, Tri-Borough Music Hub, Ark Music, the Rodolfus Foundation, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Surrey Arts, and Farnham Youth Choir. In his period as director of the Surrey Primary Schools Music Festival, he directed annual performances involving thousands of children and large-scale education teams.

Cole also creates training resources in musicianship, vocal health, conducting, and music history for organisations including ABRSM, Surrey Arts, and a wide range of external partners. His work has been recognised by the Association of British Choral Directors, the Association of Teachers of Singing, and Help Musicians UK. A prize-winning graduate of the Universities of Aberdeen and Edinburgh, Cole has held academic roles at St Andrews and Edinburgh, and contributes writing to The Choral Journal, Oxford University Press, and on his Substack, You Set the Tone.

Equally at home in traditional and unconventional spaces, Cole brings energy, clarity, and narrative depth to every performance. He is especially sought after for projects that demand strong artistic leadership and a collaborative, flexible approach.