Colin Davis Suggest updates
Sir Colin Rex Davis CH.
Born Weybridge, 25 September 1927.
Died London, 14 April 2013.
English conductor.
Colin Davis studied clarinet at the Royal College of Music and conducted the Kalmar Orchestra from 1948 before founding the Chelsea Opera Group in 1950. His debut at the Royal Festival Hall was as a ballet conductor in 1952. From 1957-9 he worked as Assistant Conductor at the BBC Scottish Orchestra; his debut at Sadler’s Wells came in 1958, and he succeeded Alexander Gibson as Music Director from 1959-65.
Later positions include BBC Symphony Orchestra Principal Conductor, then Guest Conductor 1971-86. Covent Garden debut 1966; Music Director 1971-84. 1983-92 Principal Conductor Bavarian Radio SO. He has appeared at New York Met, at Glyndebourne, Bayreuth (Tannhäuser 1977), and widely elsewhere. From 1995 to 2006 he was director of the London Symphony Orchestra.
He conducted the premieres of The Mines of Sulphur (Bennett 1965), The Knot Garden (Tippett 1970) and The Ice Break (Tippett 1977). He has had a particular reputation as a champion of the music of Berlioz, and Tippett, and is also highly regarded as an interpreter of Mozart, Stravinsky, Sibelius and Wagner.
