Barry Wordsworth
Encyclopedia
Barry Wordsworth is a British
conductor.
From 1989 to 2006, Wordsworth was principal conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra
, and now holds the title of conductor laureate. From 1990 to 1995, Wordsworth was music director of the Royal Ballet, Covent Garden
. He began his second tenure in that post in 2007. Since 1989, he is the principal conductor of the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra. In March 2007 at Brighton, Wordsworth caused controversy when he refused to conduct Andrew Gant
's new composition A British Symphony the day of the scheduled premiere. He was music director of Birmingham Royal Ballet
from 2005 to 2008.
Wordsworth's discography includes works by lesser-known British composers alongside more mainstream pieces. He conducted the Last Night of the Proms in 1993. In 2003, he was the first conductor to record commercially all nine surviving movements of Constant Lambert
's ballet Horoscope
(only a suite of five movements had previously been recorded).
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
conductor.
From 1989 to 2006, Wordsworth was principal conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra
BBC Concert Orchestra
The BBC Concert Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London, one of the British Broadcasting Corporation's five radio orchestras. With around fifty players, it is the only one of the five which is not a full-scale symphony orchestra....
, and now holds the title of conductor laureate. From 1990 to 1995, Wordsworth was music director of the Royal Ballet, Covent Garden
Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as...
. He began his second tenure in that post in 2007. Since 1989, he is the principal conductor of the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra. In March 2007 at Brighton, Wordsworth caused controversy when he refused to conduct Andrew Gant
Andrew Gant
-Biography:Andrew attended Radley College before going on to read Music and English at St John's College, Cambridge. He was a choral scholar and sang in the College Choir under George Guest. He subsequently studied composition with Paul Patterson at the Royal Academy of Music and completed his PhD...
's new composition A British Symphony the day of the scheduled premiere. He was music director of Birmingham Royal Ballet
Birmingham Royal Ballet
Birmingham Royal Ballet is one of the three major ballet companies of the United Kingdom, alongside the Royal Ballet and the English National Ballet....
from 2005 to 2008.
Wordsworth's discography includes works by lesser-known British composers alongside more mainstream pieces. He conducted the Last Night of the Proms in 1993. In 2003, he was the first conductor to record commercially all nine surviving movements of Constant Lambert
Constant Lambert
Leonard Constant Lambert was a British composer and conductor.-Early life:Lambert, the son of Russian-born Australian painter George Lambert, was educated at Christ's Hospital and the Royal College of Music...
's ballet Horoscope
Horoscope (ballet)
Horoscope is a ballet created in 1937 by Frederick Ashton with scenery by Sophie Fedorovich and music by Constant Lambert. It is based on astrological themes, and is reminiscent of Gustav Holst's The Planets in its musical exploration of the mystical. The story of the ballet concerns a young man...
(only a suite of five movements had previously been recorded).