Murray Hipkin studied at York University, the Guildhall and the National Opera Studio before joining the Music Staff of English National Opera (1983–8) and then working for Opéra de Lyon, La Monnaie, Opera Factory, Scottish Opera (recording Street Scene) and Opera Brava (as Musical Director). Since returning to ENO in 1995, he has appeared in Mahagonny, The Silver Tassie, Leoncavallo La bohème and The Rake’s Progress, and worked extensively as Senior Répétiteur (his productions have included Deborah Warner’s Death in Venice, Phyllida Lloyd’s Ring Cycle and Rupert Goold’s Turandot) and Assistant Conductor, including, most recently, The Merry Widow, Dr Atomic and Anthony Minghella’s Madam Butterfly.

He has conducted La bohème (Surrey Opera, Opera Box), the UK première of Salieri’s Falstaff, Haydn La vera costanza, (Bampton Classical Opera), Mozart Apollo and Hyacinth and Gluck Il Cinesi (BCO at the 2009 Cheltenham Festival), and for ENO, The Pirates of Penzance, the 20th Anniversary performances of Jonathan Miller’s iconic production of The Mikado starring Lesley Garrett, The Gondoliers and Kismet with Michael Ball and Faith Prince. In August 2007 he conducted Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd at Shawford Mill, Frome. His freelance work as vocal coach, accompanist and chorus master includes assisting the composer John Adams and conducting on location for the award-winning Channel 4 film The Death of Klinghoffer, Anna Bolena at the Tower of London Festival in 2005, two projects with Björk including Pierrot Lunaire at the Verbier Festival and community and education projects with ENO Baylis. He was Conductor of Cookham-based chamber choir Cantorum until 2003, when he was appointed Musical Director of NLC.

Murray has recently completed an eight month sabbatical from ENO as Musical Director of The Sound of Music at the London Palladium, conducting over 170 performances.