Colin Davis

about

Davis studied the clarinet at the Royal College of Music in London, where he was barred from taking conducting lessons owing to his lack of ability at the piano. Nonetheless, he formed and often served as conductor of the Kalmar Orchestra with fellow students. In 1952, Davis worked at the Royal Festival Hall, and in the late 1950s conducted the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. He first found wide acclaim when he stood in for an ill Otto Klemperer in a performance of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's opera, Don Giovanni, at the Royal Festival Hall in 1959. A year later, he stood in for Sir Thomas Beecham in similar circumstances in Mozart's The Magic Flute at Glyndebourne . In the 1960s he worked at Sadler's Wells Opera[1] and the London Symphony Orchestra. He also served as Chief Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra. In 1971 he succeeded Georg Solti as principal conductor at the Royal Opera House, where he had given occasional performances before, remaining there until 1986. He became noted for championing the operas of Michael Tippett, giving the premieres of his works The Knot Garden (1970), and The Ice Break (1977). In 1977 he became the first English conductor to appear at the Bayreuth Festival (dedicated to the works of Richard Wagner) where he conducted Tannhäuser. Davis was Principal Guest Conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra from 1972 to 1984. He subsequently was Chief Conductor at the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra from 1983 to 1993. In 1991, Davis was named '

top songs

albums

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40 Most Beautiful Arias

Saint-Saëns : Samson et Dalila

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Elgar: Enigma Variations - Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 6

Mozart: "Night Music" (Remastered)

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Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique

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Schubert: Symphonies Nos. 1-6, 8 & 9

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Beethoven Symphony No 7

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Elgar, E.: Symphony No. 1 / Berlioz, H.: Overtures (C. Davis) (Staatskapelle Dresden Edition, Vol. 1)

Mozart: Requiem

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Mozart: Così fan tutte, K. 588 (Live)

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Sir Colin Davis Conducts Schubert

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Beethoven: Overtures

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