Ammal Bhatia is a conductor and was awarded the Leverhulme Scholarship to study a Masters in Conducting with Martyn Brabbins at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS). He is also a student of Sian Edwards, Jonathan Mann and partaken in masterclasses with Jac van Steen and Stuart Stratford. In addition to this, Ammal has been personally mentored by Adam Szabo, former Chief Executive and Artistic Director of Manchester Collective, and now Director of the BBC Philharmonic. He was the Conductor in Residence (CiR) of the London Schools Symphony Orchestra (LSSO) for the 24/25 season. In his role as CiR of the LSSO, he conducted the orchestra for a variety of different projects including their summer tour, and for the Carnegie Hall link up project. Ammal has conducted the Ulster Orchestra, Chineke! Orchestra, and looks forward to making debuts in the 25/26 season with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

Passionate about contemporary music, Ammal has worked with the London Sinfonietta, the Hard Rain SoloistEnsemble and Birmingham Contemporary Music Group (for a BBC Radio 3 Broadcast). He has given multiple premieres including a radio broadcast of Ben Nobuto’s interbeing on BBC Radio 3, and Reena Esmail’s Ram Tori Maya. He looks forward to working with the Hebrides Ensemble this season. Ammal also has a love of opera and has assisted on productions of Don Giovanni and Hänsel und Gretel with Alessandro Pagliazzi and Toby Purser respectively. Passionate about music education, and in addition to his work with the LSSO, Ammal has conducted youth orchestras with Barnet Education Arts Trust, Hertfordshire Music Service and side-by-side workshops with schools in Glasgow. 

Ammal is a recent graduate from the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), where he trained as a violinist with Steve Wilkie.Ammal has played with Chineke! Orchestra (most recently in their European tours, at their BBC Prom and appearing as guest leader for the Harvey Parker memorial concert), and projects with Manchester Collective and the Hallé. He has perfomed in venues such as the Elbphilharmonie, Berlin Konzerthaus and all major UK venues. He co-founded the Franco-Mendes Quartet when at the RNCM, which has received high praise for its daring and contemporary performance style, and has been fortunate enough to study with the Elias Quartet, Trio Gaspard, Trio Karenine, Talich Quartet, Chilingirian Quartet, Piatti Quartet and Magnus Johnston.

Ammal is the Artistic Director and Founder of the Carme Ensemble, which he established in May 2021. This project-by-project orchestra based in Manchester has received high praise and multiple awards, including appearing on Classic FM. He is also Co-Director of the Enys Chamber Music Festival. He was the lead on the organisation becoming a registered charity, and manages the day-to-day running of the Festival with fellow Co-Director Stefan Rogers. The Festival aims to bring high quality accessible chamber music, performed by young professional musicians, to Falmouth and Penryn.

Ammal most important musical mentors include Mona Kodama, Juan Drown and Peter Stark. He plays on an c.1880 Mirecourt violin restored by William John. Finally, Ammal is a qualified Mental Health First Aider (MHFA).

November 2025