Richard Hickox
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Richard Sidney Hickox CBE (5 March 1948 – 23 November 2008) was an English conductor of choral, orchestral and operatic music.
Early life
Hickox was born in Stokenchurch in Buckinghamshire into a musical family. After attending the Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe from 1959 to 1966, he studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London from 1966 to 1967, then was an organ scholar at Queens' College, Cambridge from 1967 to 1970.
Career
Hickox founded the City of London Sinfonia in 1971, remaining music director until his death, and also founded the Richard Hickox Singers & Orchestra in the same year. He was the director of music at the Endellion Music Festival from 1972 to 2008. In 1972 at the age of only 24 he was appointed Martin Neary's successor as organist and master of music at St. Margaret's, Westminster (the church of the Houses of Parliament), subsequently adding the directorships of the London Symphony Chorus (1976) and Bradford Festival Chorus (1978). In 1990, he co-founded the baroque orchestra Collegium Musicum 90 with Simon Standage. From 1982 to 1990, he served as Artistic Director of the Northern Sinfonia. He was Associate Guest Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra from 1985 until his death. He was also Chorus Director of the London Symphony Chorus from 1976 to 1991, with whom he premiered The Three Kings by Peter Maxwell Davies in 1995. He also premiered that composer's A Dance on the Hill in 2005.
For five years, Hickox was Music Director of the Spoleto Festival, Italy. From 2000 to 2006, he was Principal Conductor of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, thereafter becoming its Conductor Emeritus. He became the Music Director of Opera Australia in 2005. After his arrival, the Australian opera singers Fiona Janes and Bruce Martin, formerly featured with Opera Australia, left the organisation and criticised Hickox and Opera Australia for perceived declines in artistic standards since the start of Hickox's tenure.[1][2] Hickox was contracted as Opera Australia's music director through 2012 at the time of his death in November 2008.[3]
Hickox was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2002 Queen's Birthday Honours.[4] His recording repertoire concentrated on British music, in which he made a number of recording premieres for Chandos Records. In 1997 he won the Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording for his recording of Britten’s Peter Grimes. He was also President of the Elgar Society.
Personal life
Hickox was married twice. His first marriage to Frances Sheldon-Williams ended in divorce. His second wife, the contralto Pamela Helen Stephen, and three children (one from his first marriage) survive him.[5][6]
Death
On 23 November 2008, Hickox died in Swansea[7] from a suspected heart attack after a recording session for Chandos of Holst's Choral Symphony.[8][9] He was scheduled to conduct a new production of Vaughan Williams' Riders to the Sea in November 2008. A memorial service will be held at Queens' College, Cambridge, on Wednesday 26 November with music to be conducted by Sir David Willcocks.[citation needed]
References
- ^ Roger Maynard (2008-08-16). "Soprano sounds off about 'disrespectful' Briton in charge of Opera Australia". The Independent. Retrieved 2008-11-21.
- ^ Bryce Hallett (2008-10-03). "Noises off: opera singer was made to sound 'like a goat'". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2008-11-21.
- ^ "Richard Hickox, opera conductor, dies aged 60". Telegraph. 24 November 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-25.
- ^ "No. 56595". The London Gazette (invalid
|supp=(help)). 15 June 2002. - ^ "Richard Hickox: conductor who championed works by British composers". The Times. 25 November 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-25.
- ^ "Obituary—Richard Hickox—Versatile conductor renowned for his interpretations of 20th-century British and choral music". The Guardian. 25 November 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-25.
- ^
"Opera world mourns conductor Richard Hickox". reuters.com. Retrieved 2008-11-25.
{{cite web}}: Text "Entertainment" ignored (help); Text "Reuters" ignored (help) - ^ Ashleigh Wilson (2008-11-24). "Opera Australia conductor Hickox dies suddenly". The Australian. Retrieved 2008-11-24.
- ^ "UK conductor Hickox dies, aged 60". BBC. 24 November 2008. Retrieved 24 November 2008.