姓名: SirJohnPritchard 英文名:- 性别:男 国籍:美国 出生地:- 语言:- 生日:- 星座:- 身高:- 体重:-
Noted more for his high competence than for electrifying interpretation in an ever-broadening repertory, Sir John Pritchard was nonetheless one of the most prominent of Britain's post-WWII conductors and an exemplar of the increasingly international scope of a conductor's interests. By the 1980s, he had assumed four important posts, all of which required considerable attention (Cologne Opera, Belgian Opéra Nationale, BBC Symphony Orchestra, and the San Francisco Opera) even as he dealt with guest engagements elsewhere.
Pritchard was born to a family in which music was a constant. His father was a violinist and gave his son his first musical instruction. Later, the youth traveled to Italy to study conducting, viola, and piano (the latter critical to the progress he made from répétiteur to orchestra director). He served in WWII, but was released due to poor health. After resuming his musical activities as conductor of the semi-professional Derby String Orchestra between 1943 and 1945, he was engaged by the 1947 Glyndebourne Festival prior to its July through September performances at the Edinburgh Festival that year. The following year, Pritchard was promoted from coaching duties to chorus master and later, assistant to conductor Fritz Busch. Pritchard's podium debut came in 1951 when he took over a performance from the ailing Busch. Indeed, Busch's death in September, 1951, opened the way to Pritchard's career as a conductor. Within the decade, he was leading almost as many performances as those of Glyndebourne mainstay Vittorio Gui.