Mark Elder
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Mark Elder, CBE (born 2 June 1947) is an English conductor. He was born in Hexham, Northumberland, the son of a dentist.[1] He attended Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, where he studied music and was a choral scholar.[2]
Elder was the Music Director of English National Opera (ENO) from 1979 to 1993. He was known as part of the "Power House" team that also included general director Peter Jonas and director David Pountney, and which gave ENO several very successful years of productions.[3] [4] Elder has also served as Principal Guest Conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (1992–1995) and Music Director of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (1989–1994). He has also held positions as Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the London Mozart Players.
Elder was named Music Director of the Hallé Orchestra in 1999.[5] His first concert as Music Director was in October 2000[6]. His proposed novel ideas for concerts have included the abandonment of traditional concert evening garb[7]. Elder is generally regarded as having restored the orchestra to high critical and musical standards[8] [9] [10], after a period where the continuing existence of the orchestra was in doubt.[11] In 2004, he signed a contract to extend his tenure from 2005 to 2008, with an optional two-year extension at the end of that time.[12] A later report indicated that Elder would be with the orchestra at least until 2010.[13]
Elder first conducted the Last Night of the Proms in 1987. He was scheduled to conduct again in 1990, but his remarks about the nature of some of the traditional Proms selections in the context of the impending first Gulf War led to his dismissal from that engagement.[14] In 2006, he returned to conduct the BBC Symphony Orchestra for his second Last Night engagement, and used the traditional speech at the end of the concert to criticise aircraft baggage restrictions, in place following the uncovering of the 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot, which have made it difficult for musicians to carry their instruments on aircraft.[15] In a reference to the fact that laptop computers are now allowed in aircraft cabins, Elder said, "...it seems to me that next year we should all look forward to 'Concerto for Laptop and Orchestra'." [16] [17] He also made a plea for children to be given more opportunity to sing at school.[18]
Elder was awarded the CBE by Queen Elizabeth II in 1989. He won an Olivier Award in 1991 for his outstanding work at English National Opera. He received the 2006 conductor prize of the Royal Philharmonic Society.[19]
Elder has described his own conducting style as follows:
"I'm quite a physical conductor. I remember seeing Adrian [Boult] backstage after the 1978 Proms and he was wearing a freshly ironed light blue M&S shirt and he said to me 'I see you're one of the sweaty ones.' He was famously non-perspirational."[20]
In addition to his conducting and recording activities, Elder has also written on music for newspapers[21].
Elder and his wife Mandy have a daughter, Katie.[22]
[edit] References
- ^ Richard Morrison, "Pally at the Halle". The Times, 20 February 2004.
- ^ Rosanna Greenstreet, "Q&A: Mark Elder". The Guardian, 19 February 2005.
- ^ Rupert Christiansen, " Love affair with a lost master". Telegraph, 5 September 2005.
- ^ Ivan Hewitt, "Elder statesman". Telegraph, 3 May 2004.
- ^ Fiachra Gibbons, "Miracle man to stir Halle giant". The Guardian, 7 June 1999.
- ^ David Fallows, "Hallé/Elder" (concert review). The Guardian, 28 October 2000.
- ^ Martin Kettle, "In search of glories past". The Guardian, 14 June 2002.
- ^ Richard Morrison, "A city reborn". The Times, 14 January 2004.
- ^ Anthony Holden, "Elder flowers in Manchester". The Observer, 6 March 2005.
- ^ Richard Morrison, "Orchestras: these are the champions". The Times, 1 September 2006.
- ^ Brian Hunt, "An orchestra raised from the dead". Telegraph, 15 November 2001.
- ^ David Ward, "I'm staying with Hallé, says conductor". The Guardian, 19 July 2004.
- ^ Hugh Canning, "Opera: Armed for action". The Times, 16 October 2005.
- ^ Richard Morrison, "Restored to (hope and) glory". The Times, 28 April 2006.
- ^ Geoffrey Norris, "A joyful and exuberant farewell". Telegraph, 11 September 2006.
- ^ "Conductor criticises air security", BBC News (online article), 10 September 2006.
- ^ Jeevan Vasagar, "Concerto for laptop? Conductor's sharp note over airport security". The Guardian, 11 September 2006.
- ^ Richard Morrison, Review of The Last Night of the Proms. The Times, 11 September 2006.
- ^ Charlotte Higgins, "Hallé's Elder, champion of British music, takes conductor prize". The Guardian, 10 May 2006.
- ^ Sandra Deeble, "My work space". The Guardian, 2 October 2004.
- ^ Mark Elder, "The music of war". The Guardian, 5 October 2001.
- ^ Joey Canessa, "My Home: Mark Elder, conductor". The Independent, 14 December 2005.
[edit] External links
| Preceded by Charles Groves |
Music Director, English National Opera 1979-1993 |
Succeeded by Sian Edwards |
| Preceded by Kent Nagano |
Principal Conductor, Hallé Orchestra 2000– |
Succeeded by incumbent |
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