Artists biographies
Sir Colin Davis

Sir Colin Davis is President of the London Symphony Orchestra and is also Honorary Conductor of the Dresden Staatskapelle.

Sir Colin began last season by conducting Haydn in Eisenstadt for the English Chamber Orchestra. After performing and recording Nielsen with the LSO, Sir Colin went to Paris and Venice with the Orchestra National de France conducting a programme of Berlioz, returning to the LSO in December to perform and record Verdi’s Otello. In the New Year Sir Colin went to the Boston Symphony Orchestra to conduct MacMillan’s St John Passion followed by a further performance of the piece with the LSO in London. During March 2010 Sir Colin worked with the Bayerischer Rundfunk in Munich and then conducted Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius with the Dresden Staatskapelle. In the summer Sir Colin was back in London for Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro at Covent Garden, Haydn’s The Seasons with the LSO, followed by concerts in Aix-en-Provence with the LSO.

This season begins in Dresden where Sir Colin conducts the Dresden Staatskapelle and then he spends the autumn in London working with the LSO. In December he goes to the New York Philharmonic to perform Mahler Des Knaben Wunderhorn with Ian Bostridge and Dorothea Röschmann, before returning to Covent Garden for Mozart’s The Magic Flute. In April 2011 he is with the Boston Symphony and then visits Paris to perform Beethoven’s Mass in C with the Orchestra National de France. In May Sir Colin begins a series of concerts with Mitsuko Uchida and the LSO featuring all the Beethoven piano concertos alongside Haydn and Nielsen symphonies, and he will spend July 2011 with the LSO in Aix-en-Provence where they will perform Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito. Sir Colin is conducting two Prom concerts this season: one with the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra and the other with the LSO, when they will perform Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis.

Sir Colin has been awarded international honours by Italy, France, Germany and Finland. He was named a Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2001. Sir Colin’s recording of Sibelius Kullervo Symphony received a BBC Music Magazine Award in April 07 and he was given the Yehudi Menuhin Prize for working with young people by the Queen of Spain in 2003. He received The Queen’s Medal for Music in December 2009.

During his career Sir Colin conducted the BBC Scottish Orchestra, moving to Sadler’s Wells Opera House in 1959. He spent 1967–1971 as Chief Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, became Music Director of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden in 1971 and Principal Guest Conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1972. He spent 1983–1992 with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, was Principal Guest Conductor of the New York Philharmonic from 1998–2003 and has been Honorary Conductor of the Dresden Staatskapelle since 1990. He was Principal Conductor of the LSO from 1995–2006.

Sir Colin Davis was born in Weybridge, Surrey in 1927.