Information AboutColin Davis |
: ''For the former Formula One driver, see Colin Davis (driver) '' Sir Colin Rex Davis, CH , CBE (b. September 25 , 1927 ), is a British Conductor . He was born in Weybridge , Surrey , UK . Davis studied the Clarinet at the Royal College Of Music in London , where he was barred from taking conducting lessons owing to his lack of ability at the Piano . Nonetheless, he formed and often served as conductor of the Kalmar Orchestra with fellow students. In 1952, Davis worked at the Royal Festival Hall , and in the late 1950s conducted the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra . He first found wide acclaim when he stood in for an ill Otto Klemperer in a performance of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 's opera, '' Don Giovanni '', at the Royal Festival Hall in 1959. A year later, he stood in for Thomas Beecham in similar circumstances in Mozart's '' The Magic Flute '' at Glyndebourne . In the 1960s he worked at Sadler's Wells Opera 1 and the London Symphony Orchestra . He also served as Chief Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra . In 1971 he succeeded Georg Solti as principal conductor at the Royal Opera House, where he had given occasional performances before, remaining there until 1986. He became noted for championing the operas of Michael Tippett , giving the premieres of his works '' The Knot Garden '' (1970), and '' The Ice Break '' (1977). In 1977 he became the first English conductor to appear at the Bayreuth Festival (dedicated to the works of Richard Wagner ) where he conducted '' Tannhäuser ''. Davis was Principal Guest Conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra from 1972 to 1984. He subsequently was Chief Conductor at the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra from 1983 to 1993. In 1991, Davis was named 'Conductor Laureate' (''Ehrendirigent'') of the Staatskapelle Dresden , the first conductor in the orchestra's history to hold that title. In 1995, Davis began his tenure as Principal Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) in 1995. From 1998-2003, he was Principal Guest Conductor of the New York Philharmonic . Davis concluded his tenure as the LSO's Principal Conductor on 31 December 2006 , and became President of the LSO on 1 January 2007 . Davis received a Knight hood in 1980. He is also International Chair of Orchestral Studies at the Royal Academy Of Music , London. PERSONAL LIFE His father, Reginald, was a soldier during World War I . His mother, Lillian, played the piano. He had two brothers, Norman and Howard and four sisters. Howard worked as a clerk at the Bank of England, and died in World War II . Norman became a teacher of classics and died in the 1960s. Yvonne is retired from teaching. Colin Davis attended Christ's Hospital School in Sussex before studying clarinet in London REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS
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