John Pritchard (conductor) facts for kids

Sir John Michael Pritchard (born Stanley Frederick Pritchard, 5 February 1921 – 5 December 1989) was a famous English conductor. He was especially good at conducting Mozart operas. He also strongly supported new and modern classical music.

Life and Career of John Pritchard

Early Life and Training

John Pritchard was born in Walthamstow, Essex, in 1921. He came from a very musical family. His father, Albert Edward Pritchard, was a violinist in the famous London Symphony Orchestra. Young John went to the Monoux School. He also studied music in Italy, learning to play the violin and piano, and how to conduct.

Starting His Conducting Journey

In 1943, Pritchard began leading the semi-professional Derby String Orchestra. He was their main conductor until 1951. He joined the music team at Glyndebourne Festival Opera in 1947. Glyndebourne is a famous opera festival. He became the chorus master there in 1949. He worked with Glyndebourne for most of his career. He was a conductor, music advisor, principal conductor, and musical director.

During the Second World War, Pritchard chose not to fight because of his personal beliefs. He was also not fit for military service due to health reasons.

Leading Major Orchestras and Operas

Beyond Glyndebourne, Pritchard conducted many other important groups. He worked with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 1952. He also made his first appearances at the Royal Opera House in 1951 and the Vienna State Opera in 1952. He often conducted the Vienna Symphony from 1953 to 1955.

For Glyndebourne, he conducted famous operas like Mozart's Idomeneo and Richard Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos at the Edinburgh festivals. He also conducted Rossini's La Cenerentola at the Berlin Festival.

In 1957, Pritchard became the main conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. There, he started a special series called "Musica Viva." This series showed off new and modern classical music. Because of his success in Liverpool, he was chosen to be the main conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra from 1962 to 1966.

After leaving the London Philharmonic, he traveled a lot. He conducted concerts in Berlin, Leipzig, Dresden, Philadelphia, and even the Far East. He also conducted operas in many cities around the world, including Buenos Aires, Chicago, New York, and Salzburg. In 1973, he led the London Philharmonic Orchestra on a trip to China. This was the first time a British orchestra had visited China.

Later Career and Awards

In 1978, Pritchard became the chief guest conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra. He later became its chief conductor from 1982 to 1989. He also served as the music director for the Cologne Opera in Germany and La Monnaie in Belgium. From 1986 until his death, he was the first official music director of the San Francisco Opera in the United States. At the time he passed away, he was preparing to conduct Wagner's famous Ring cycle for San Francisco.

John Pritchard received several important honors. He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1962. In 1983, he was knighted, which means he became "Sir John Pritchard." He also won the important Shakespeare Prize in 1975.

Sir John Pritchard died in 1989 in Daly City, California.

Musical Works and Recordings

John Pritchard was known for supporting many different kinds of new music. He conducted the very first performances of important operas like Britten's Gloriana and Tippett's The Midsummer Marriage and King Priam. He also conducted the first British performance of Henze's Elegy for Young Lovers.

He was especially famous for his performances of music by Mozart and Richard Strauss. His recordings include many well-known operas such as Idomeneo, L'incoronazione di Poppea, Falstaff, Macbeth, Hansel and Gretel, and La traviata.

Selected Recordings

• Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor (recorded 1961)
• Humperdinck: Hänsel und Gretel (recorded 1978)
• Mozart: Idomeneo (recorded 1956)

Videography

• The Metropolitan Opera Centennial Gala (1983)

See also

In Spanish: John Pritchard (director) para niños