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Conductor
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To EMAIL
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Born in Rochford, Essex, he began playing the violin at the age of six, later studying at the Royal Academy of Music, London, and then in Paris. At the age of 23 he commenced a two and a half year period as Leader (Concertmaster) of the city of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, which ended when he moved to the London Symphony Orchestra where he stayed as Leader for a total of eleven years through two periods from 1965 to 1979, the Kertesz, Previn, Abbado eras.An early interest in conducting led to eight years of study with Maestro Sergei Celibidache and a career which, beginning with education work in 1963, now includes appearances with orchestras worldwide.
Conducting engagements with the LSO, which have included international tours, centre around the New Year's Concerts at the Barbican Centre, which will be celebrating a quarter of a century at the 25th Anniversary concerts this coming new year.
As a prolific recording artist over the years he has recorded on various labels and several of his CDs have received the highest accolades.
For 18 years he was involved in working with young people, and coached and conducted all over the world, including the European and Chinese Youth Orchestras. He was Principal Conductor of the Essex Youth Orchestra for more than a decade.
He has enjoyed the position of Music Director with several orchestras, starting with the internationally known London Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, jointly founded in 1972 with LSO, and other, colleagues, including the flautist James Galway. He was also MD of the Bristol Sinfonia from 1982 to 1984 and the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra from 1994 to 1996.
Discography
Pearl : Elgar "Music for Violin" & Bax,
Berkeley Bridge Chamber Music
CBS : Virtuoso Violin Records "Hora Staccato" & "Moto Perpetuo"
Abbey : London Virtuosi Volumes 1-4 Chamber Music
Lyrita : Moeran Violin Concerto with Vernon Handley & LSO
Pickwick : Evening of Strauss - Evening in Vienna - Strauss Magic with LSO
Chandos : Johann Strauss in London with LSO
Chandos : Dohnányi - Sibelius - Mendelssohn Quartets with Gabrieli
Naxos : Albinoni with the LV and Weber Symphonies with the QPO
Naxos : Fauré orchestral music with the RTE Sinfonietta, Dublin, Ireland
Teacher of Conducting and Violin
John was both violin teacher at the Guildhall School of Music, London and Director of Orchestral Studies at the Royal Academy of Music, London and has taught privately through a number of years.
He studied violin with Vanna Brown, Joan Rochford-Davies, Frederick Grinke & Rene Benedetti (Paris).
He studied conducting for eight years (1978-86) with Maestro Sergiu Celibidache
Use the email link at the top of the page to contact him for further information regarding tuition.
Qualifications: FRAM, FGSM, Hon Doc U of E.
