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| Richard Hickox | |
|---|---|
| Name | Richard Hickox |
| Birth date | 5 December 1948 |
| Death date | 23 November 2008 |
| Birth place | Worcester, Worcestershire |
| Death place | London |
| Occupation | Conductor |
| Years active | 1972–2008 |
Richard Hickox Richard Hickox was an English conductor noted for his interpretations of British choral and orchestral music, as well as opera and contemporary repertoire. He founded ensembles and led orchestras across the United Kingdom and internationally, championing composers from Benjamin Britten and Ralph Vaughan Williams to William Walton and Edward Elgar. Hickox's career combined operatic leadership, festival directorship, recording projects, and academic appointments.
Born in Worcester, Worcestershire, Hickox studied at King's School, Worcester and read music at King's College, Cambridge where he sang in chapel choirs and worked with conductors at Westminster Choir and collegiate music traditions. He continued studies at the Royal Academy of Music and undertook apprenticeship experiences at institutions such as Sadler's Wells Theatre, Royal Opera House, and regional ensembles in Birmingham and Manchester. His formative influences included exposure to British choral traditions associated with St Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, and the liturgical repertory promoted by figures connected to Oxbridge music.
Hickox founded the City of London Sinfonia and the Richard Hickox Singers before taking leadership roles with the Northern Sinfonia (later Royal Northern Sinfonia) and guest-conducting at companies including English National Opera, Opera North, and the Royal Opera House. He served as principal conductor of the Welsh National Opera, artistic director of the Cheltenham Music Festival, and principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra Chorus in collaborative projects. International engagements included appearances with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre National de France, and festivals such as Aldeburgh Festival and BBC Proms. Hickox was known for partnerships with soloists from the sphere of British music like Janet Baker, Sir Peter Pears, and Thomas Allen, as well as contemporary interpreters connected to Harrison Birtwistle and Michael Tippett. He also led staged productions in collaboration with directors associated with Glyndebourne Festival Opera and the Royal Shakespeare Company when operatic and theatrical intersections were explored.
Hickox built a substantial discography across labels including Chandos Records and collaborated with ensembles such as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, and the Philharmonia Orchestra. His recordings emphasized British composers—Gustav Holst, Arthur Sullivan, Herbert Howells, John Ireland, Frank Bridge, George Butterworth—and extended to continental repertoire by Maurice Ravel, Claude Debussy, Antonín Dvořák, and Giacomo Puccini. Hickox premiered and recorded works by contemporary composers linked to Peter Maxwell Davies, Oliver Knussen, Nico Muhly, and Judith Weir. Notable projects included complete sets, or near-complete cycles, of orchestral and choral works by Ralph Vaughan Williams and recordings of operatic works by Benjamin Britten and William Walton. He collaborated with singers associated with Montserrat Caballé, Placido Domingo, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, and ensembles connected to historically informed practice like The English Concert when cross-project programming required stylistic consultation.
Hickox received recognition including appointments and prizes from institutions such as Order of the British Empire, national music academies including the Royal Academy of Music and Royal College of Music, and awards from industry bodies like the Gramophone Awards and Classical BRIT Awards. His recording projects earned accolades from organizations connected to Gramophone (magazine), the BBC Music Magazine Awards, and international festival committees such as Edinburgh International Festival. He was granted honorary fellowships and degrees from universities including University of Cambridge, University of Oxford collegiate colleges, University of London institutions, and conservatoires including Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
Hickox held teaching and advisory posts at conservatoires and universities, working with programs at the Royal Academy of Music, the Royal College of Music, and regional initiatives tied to English National Opera's young artist schemes and Opera North's training programs. He mentored emerging conductors through masterclasses linked to the London Symphony Orchestra and participated in workshops at festivals such as Aldeburgh Festival and the Cheltenham Music Festival. His mentorship fostered careers of conductors and singers who later held posts with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Welsh National Opera, and major European houses including Bayerische Staatsoper and La Scala.
Hickox's personal archive included correspondence with composers, administrators, and artists associated with institutions such as English National Opera, BBC Radio 3, and the Royal Philharmonic Society. His sudden death in 2008 prompted tributes from organizations including the Royal Opera House, BBC Proms, and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and spurred renewed interest in his recordings across catalogues managed by Chandos Records and national libraries like the British Library. His legacy endures in continued performances of repertoire he championed, scholarship in university music departments such as King's College London and University of Birmingham, and in the ongoing activities of ensembles he founded, including the City of London Sinfonia and the Royal Northern Sinfonia.
Category:English conductors Category:1948 births Category:2008 deaths