Opera Scotland

Warwick Braithwaite Suggest updates

Born Dunedin, New Zealand, 9 January 1896.
Died London, 18 January 1971.

New Zealand conductor.

Warwick Braithwaite studied at the Royal Academy of Music 1916-19, becoming conductor of the O’Mara company 1919-22. Later he had periods on the musical staff in Munich and with BNOC. After appointments with the BBC, including the National Orchestra of Wales, he joined Sadler’s Wells and was, with Lawrance Collingwood, responsible for many important productions there (1933-40), including the first performances by the company of Fledermaus, Mastersingers, Fidelio, The Wreckers, Tannhäuser and Don Carlos. During the war he was conductor of the Scottish Orchestra, appearing several times in the four Scottish cities. He conducted at Covent Garden 1951-2 and then returned for a period to New Zealand 1953-56. He was music director of Welsh National Opera 1956-60; and worked once more with Sadler’s Wells 1960-8.

His son Nicholas (b London, 26 Aug 1939) has conducted opera in Britain, Norway, and New Zealand. He has appeared in Scotland on the Glyndebourne and Sadler's Wells tours as well as with Scottish Opera.