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Colin Davis

Biography

Colin Davis became among the world’s best-known conductors over the last four years from the 20th hundred years. He was especially popular for his recordings of Berlioz and Sibelius. While playing the clarinet as students on the Royal University of Music in London, he participated within a functionality of Berlioz’s oratorio L’enfance du Christ. He was deeply suffering from the task and decided after that to become conductor. An excellent obstacle in attaining his objective was his insufficient skill on the piano. Because of this, he was barred from performing classes on the Royal University of Music and acquired to learn performing by himself. He accepted that he performed piano “extremely badly, not worthy of discussing.” He was known as to military program and was submitted towards the Band of family members Cavalry. At that time he produced, with some fellow Royal University instrumentalists, an ensemble known as the Kalmar Orchestra, which he frequently conducted. It shortly evolved in to the Chelsea Opera Group, a semi-professional firm. Davis became known for his professional and stylish shows of Mozart operas. In 1952 he became mind of ballet music at Royal Celebration Hall. He was an associate conductor from the BBC Scottish Orchestra (1957-1959). In 1958 he debuted at Covent Backyard in Die Entführung aus dem Serail. In 1959, when Otto Klemperer became sick, he had taken over a functionality of Mozart’s Don Giovanni in the Royal Event Hall, a overall performance that received him wide acclaim. In 1960 lightning struck double when Thomas Beecham, planned to carry out Mozart’s Zauberflöte at Glyndebourne, dropped sick and Davis once again made an excellent substitution. In 1961 he was appointed musical movie director from the Sadler’s Wells Opera. He resigned from Sadler’s Wells in 1964 to accomplish more symphonic performing, specifically with the London Symphony Orchestra. In 1965 he was called a Commander from the Order from the United kingdom Empire. During this time period he begun to record broadly, including a traditional series of produces from the music of Hector Berlioz, like the initial recording of the entire Les Troyens. From 1967 to 1971 he was primary conductor from the BBC Symphony Orchestra, using the autonomy to pursue an adventurous plan of repertory. He executed the Royal Opera Firm on several events, again generally in newer music, and surfaced as a primary champ of Michael Tippett’s operas. He was selected to achieve success Georg Solti as musical movie director from the Royal Opera Home, Covent Backyard, in 1971. While carrying on to become praised for his Mozart as well as for uncommon repertory, he received some criticism for his even more standard choices, including a Wagner Band routine of 1974-1976. However, he was asked to seem at Bayreuth, where his Tannhäconsumer in 1977 was the 1st appearance of the British conductor within the Wagnerian shrine. Over time, he became even more at home within the primary operatic and orchestral repertory. In 1980 he received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II. In 1984 he approved a posture as main conductor from the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in Munich. He required it on the tour of THE UNITED STATES in 1986. Within the same yr, he resigned his placement using the Royal Opera to have significantly more time for visitor conducting. He continued to be using the Munich Orchestra into 1994 and was primary guest conductor using the Boston Symphony Orchestra. In 1995 he was appointed primary conductor from the London Symphony Orchestra, where he continued to be to his loss of life in 2013. Davis received a Greatest Opera Grammy Honor in 2006 for his LSO Live disk of Verdi’s Falstaff and continuing performing the LSO.

Quick Facts


Full Name Colin Davis
Died April 14, 2013, London, United Kingdom
Profession Conductor, Music Educator, Clarinetist
Education Christ's Hospital, Royal College of Music
Nationality English
Spouse Ashraf Naini, April Cantelo
Children Joseph Wolfe, Christopher Davis, Suzanne Davis, Sheida Davis, Yalda Davis
Parents Reginald George Davis, Lillian Davis
Awards Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording, Grammy Award for Best Classical Album, Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance, Classic Brit Award for Male Artist of the Year, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Main Title Design, Shakespeare Prize, Classic Brit Critics Award
Music Groups London Symphony Orchestra, Alvarez Chamber Orchestra
Albums Berlioz: Les Troyens, Die Schöpfung, Peter Grimes, Symphonie Fantastique, Op. 14 (Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam feat. conductor: Sir Colin Davis), Kullervo, Der Freischutz, Die Zauberflöte (Staatskapelle Dresden feat. conductor: Sir Colin Davis), Requiem / Symphonie Funèbre et Triomphale, Klavierkonzerte, Beethoven Overtures, Saint-Saens: Samson et Dalila, Berlioz: Béatrice et Bénédict, Verdi: Otello, An Olde English Christmas, Samson et Dalila (Highlights), Mozart: Idomeneo, Re di Creta, At The Last Night Of The Proms, Britten: The Turn Of The Screw, Piano Concertos Nos. 21, 25, Mozart: Overtures, Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 4, Tippett: Concerto For Violin, Viola & Cello, Elgar: Enigma Variations, Symphony no. 2, MacMillan: The World's Ransoming / Confessions of Isobel Gowdie, Star Wars: A New Hope (Originalnyi Saundtrek), Star Wars: A Birodalom Visszavág (Eredeti Filmzene), The Classical Album, Mozart Arias, Marriage of Figaro: Highlights, Tchaikovsky: Serenade For Strings / Dvorák: Serenade For Strings, Symphonies nos. 1-4, Reger: Variations & Fugue on a Theme of J.A. Hiller in E Major, Op. 100 & Eine Ballettsuite in D Major, Op. 130, Rossini Overtures, The Early Mozart Recordings - Sir Colin Davis, Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 1-7, Kullervo, Cléopâtre / Herminie, Berlioz: L'enfance du Christ (Remastered, Mono Version), Berlioz: L'enfance du Christ, Op. 25 (Mono Version), Mozart: Eine Kleine Nacht Music "A Little Night Music" (Remastered Bonus Track Version), Schubert: Symphony No. 8 in B minor, D. 759, "Unfinished" - Symphony No. 3, Brahms: Symphony No. 3, Op. 90; Tragic Overture, Op. 81, Piano Concertos Nos. 22 & 26, Berlioz: La damnation de Faust, Symphony no. 9 "From the New World" / Symphonic Variations, The Beauty and the Voice, Vol. 1, Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3; Piano Sonata No. 6, Symphony No. 7, The Marriage of Figaro: Highlights, Piano Concertos Nos. 21 & 23 / Piano Sonata "Alla Turca", Dumbarton Oaks / Danses concertantes / Concerto in D / Cantata
Nominations Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Opera, Brit Award for Best Classical Recording, Classic Brit Award for Classical Recording of the Year
Movies Mozart: Requiem: Colin Davis, Gidon Kremer & Alban Berg: Violin Concerto


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Editorial Department

Editorial Department

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Towheads 2013 digital intermediate producer
Independent Lens 2011 TV Series documentary assistant editor - 1 episode
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Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse 2001 Video performer: "The Best Christmas Of All"
The Jungle Book 2 2003 performer: "Jungle Rhythm"

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Off Campus 2010/II Short
The Buffalo Son 2009

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Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse 2001 Video Chorus (voice)

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Corpus Callosum 2007 associate director

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The Buffalo Son 2009

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