Around the Music Festival

British conductor Raymond Leppard died on October 22 in Indianapolis, USA at the age of 92. He was a conductor, harpsichord player and composer. As a conductor, he has a wide repertoire, especially known for his early efforts to discover Baroque operas such as Monteverdi and Cavalli.

From 1973 to 1980, he was the principal conductor of the BBC Northern Orchestra (now BBC Philharmonic). In 1987, he became the music director of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra in the United States. After retiring in 2001, he was a Conductor Emeritus. He has been awarded the Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

He was born in London in 1927. After graduating from Trinity College at Cambridge University, he made his debut as a conductor in 1952. He co-starred with organizations such as the British Chamber Orchestra from the 1960s to the 1970s.

He has been working on Baroque opera early on, and in 1962 he worked on the performance of Monteverdi’s opera “L’ incoronazione di Poppea” at the Glyndebourne Festival Opera. As a composer, he has also worked on the music for the 1963 film “Lord of the Flies” directed by Peter Brook and the 1969 film “Alfred the Great” directed by Clive Donner.

Photo：University of Indianapolis