Born in Stratford-on-Avon Alice Farnham began her musical career as an Organist, holding Organ Scholarships at St. Hugh's College, Oxford, and St. Thomas' Church, Fifth Avenue, New York. She studied symphonic and operatic conducting with the legendary pedagogue, Ilya Musin at the St. Petersburg Conservatoire from 1997 to 2000. Whilst she was there, Alice conducted the St. Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra and the Hermitage Camerata.
In the summer and autumn 2009 Alice conducts Haydn's Le Pescatrice for Bampton Classical Opera. Alice has recently conducted Falstaff in the Grange Park Opera Festival and on the Pimlico Opera Autumn Tour. She also conducted I Capuleti e I Montecchi with Pimlico Opera in 2007. She has Guest Conducted with English Touring Opera (A Midsummer Night's Dream), London City Opera (Carmen USA Tour), and European Chamber Opera (Die Zauberflote). She is a part-time member of the music staff at the Royal Opera and in 2010 will be Assistant Conductor in Il Turco in Italia. For three years she was Chorus Master and Assistant Conductor at Gothenburg Opera. In Sweden Alice was also Artistic Director of the Borås Symphony Orchestra from 2004-2007.
She is equally at home conducting ballet, and is a regular Guest Conductor for Birmingham Royal Ballet, English National Ballet, and in May 2009 made her Covent Garden debut conducting Giselle. In January 2010 Alice also conducts Giselle for a tour of Denmark with the Danish Royal Ballet.
Recent concert engagements include a concert with the Brighton Philharmonic, South Bank Sinfonia, and the Chandos Symphony Orchestra.