Sir Colin Rex Davis,
CHThe Order of the Companions of Honour is an order of the Commonwealth realms. It was founded by King George V in June 1917, as a reward for outstanding achievements in the arts, literature, music, science, politics, industry, or religion....
,
CBEThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 25 September 1927 in
WeybridgeNot to be confused with Wadebridge, Cornwall, or weighbridgeWeybridge is a town in the Elmbridge district of Surrey in South East England. It is bounded to the north by the River Thames at the mouth of the River Wey, from which it gets its name...
,
SurreySurrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire, and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford...
) is an
EnglishEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
conductorConducting is the act of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. Orchestras, choirs, concert bands and other musical ensembles often have conductors.-Nomenclature:...
.
Davis studied the
clarinetThe clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet...
at the
Royal College of MusicThe Royal College of Music is a conservatoire located in the South Kensington district of London, England.-Background:The Royal College of Music's building, designed by Sir Arthur Blomfield, is situated on Prince Consort Road in the district of South Kensington, next to Imperial College, directly...
in
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
, where he was barred from taking conducting lessons owing to his lack of ability at the
pianoThe piano is a musical instrument which is played by means of a keyboard. Widely used in Western music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music, and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
. Nonetheless, he formed and often served as conductor of the Kalmar Orchestra with fellow students.
In 1952, Davis worked at the
Royal Festival HallThe Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900 seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected...
, and in the late 1950s conducted the
BBC Scottish Symphony OrchestraThe BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra is the BBC's classical music radio orchestra in Scotland.Founded as the BBC Scottish Orchestra in 1935 by the Scottish composer and conductor Ian Whyte, the orchestra developed a strong profile supporting the BBC Symphony Orchestra in the UK and abroad,...
.
Sir Colin Rex Davis,
CHThe Order of the Companions of Honour is an order of the Commonwealth realms. It was founded by King George V in June 1917, as a reward for outstanding achievements in the arts, literature, music, science, politics, industry, or religion....
,
CBEThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 25 September 1927 in
WeybridgeNot to be confused with Wadebridge, Cornwall, or weighbridgeWeybridge is a town in the Elmbridge district of Surrey in South East England. It is bounded to the north by the River Thames at the mouth of the River Wey, from which it gets its name...
,
SurreySurrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire, and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford...
) is an
EnglishEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
conductorConducting is the act of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. Orchestras, choirs, concert bands and other musical ensembles often have conductors.-Nomenclature:...
.
Career
Davis studied the
clarinetThe clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet...
at the
Royal College of MusicThe Royal College of Music is a conservatoire located in the South Kensington district of London, England.-Background:The Royal College of Music's building, designed by Sir Arthur Blomfield, is situated on Prince Consort Road in the district of South Kensington, next to Imperial College, directly...
in
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
, where he was barred from taking conducting lessons owing to his lack of ability at the
pianoThe piano is a musical instrument which is played by means of a keyboard. Widely used in Western music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music, and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
. Nonetheless, he formed and often served as conductor of the Kalmar Orchestra with fellow students.
In 1952, Davis worked at the
Royal Festival HallThe Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900 seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected...
, and in the late 1950s conducted the
BBC Scottish Symphony OrchestraThe BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra is the BBC's classical music radio orchestra in Scotland.Founded as the BBC Scottish Orchestra in 1935 by the Scottish composer and conductor Ian Whyte, the orchestra developed a strong profile supporting the BBC Symphony Orchestra in the UK and abroad,...
. He first found wide acclaim when he stood in for an ill
Otto KlempererOtto Klemperer was a German-born conductor and composer. He is widely regarded as one of the leading conductors of the 20th century.-Biography:...
in a performance of
Wolfgang Amadeus MozartWolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as...
's opera,
Don GiovanniDon Giovanni is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and with Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It was premiered in the Estates Theatre in Prague on October 29, 1787...
, at the
Royal Festival HallThe Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900 seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected...
in 1959. A year later, he stood in for Sir
Thomas BeechamSir Thomas Beecham, 2nd Baronet, CH was a British conductor and impresario. From the early twentieth century until his death, Beecham was a major influence on the musical life of Britain and, according to Neville Cardus, was the first British conductor to have a regular international career.From...
in similar circumstances in Mozart's
The Magic Flute at
GlyndebourneGlyndebourne Festival Opera is an opera festival held at Glyndebourne, a country house near Lewes, in East Sussex, England.Under the supervision of the Christie family, the festival has been held annually since 1934, except in 1993, when the theatre was being rebuilt. The renovated theatre opened...
.
In the 1960s he worked at
Sadler's Wells OperaSadler's Wells Theatre is the name of six theatres that have been built since 1683 at a site on Rosebery Avenue, Clerkenwell in the London Borough of Islington. The present day theatre seats 1,500 and specialises in dance, ranging from ballet to hip hop, contemporary dance to flamenco...
and the
London Symphony OrchestraThe London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:...
. He also served as Chief Conductor of the
BBC Symphony OrchestraThe BBC Symphony Orchestra is the principal broadcast orchestra of the British Broadcasting Corporation and one of the leading orchestras in Britain.-History:...
. In 1971 he succeeded
Georg SoltiSir Georg Solti, KBE was a Hungarian-British orchestral and operatic conductor. He holds the record for having received the most Grammy awards, having personally won 31, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.- Early career :Solti was born György Stern in Budapest to a Jewish family; his...
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 TippettSir Michael Kemp Tippett OM CH CBE was one of the foremost English composers of the 20th century. -Early years:Tippett was born in London of English and Cornish stock...
, giving the premieres of his works
The Knot GardenThe Knot Garden is an opera in three acts by Michael Tippett to an original English libretto by the composer. The work had its first performance at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, on 2 December 1970 conducted by Sir Colin Davis and produced by Sir Peter Hall. There is a recording with the...
(1970), and
The Ice BreakThe Ice Break is an opera in three acts by Michael Tippett, to an original English libretto by the composer. It was first produced at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, on July 7, 1977, conducted by Colin Davis, the dedicatee of the opera. A German translation was performed in Kiel the...
(1977). In 1977 he became the first English conductor to appear at the
Bayreuth FestivalThe Bayreuth Festival is a music festival held annually in Bayreuth, Germany, at which performances of operas by the 19th century German composer Richard Wagner are presented...
(dedicated to the works of
Richard WagnerWilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director and essayist, primarily known for his operas...
) where he conducted
TannhäuserTannhäuser is an opera in three acts, music and text by Richard Wagner, based on the two Germanic legends of Tannhäuser and the song contest at Wartburg...
.
Davis was Principal Guest Conductor of the
Boston Symphony OrchestraThe Boston Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1881, the BSO plays the majority of its concerts at Boston's Symphony Hall and in the summer performs at the...
from 1972 to 1984. He subsequently was Chief Conductor at the
Bavarian Radio Symphony OrchestraThe Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra is the internationally renowned orchestra of the Bayerischer Rundfunk , based in Munich, Germany. It is one of the three principal orchestras in the city of Munich, along with the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra and the Bavarian State Orchestra...
from 1983 to 1993. In 1991, Davis was named 'Conductor Laureate' (
Ehrendirigent) of the
Staatskapelle DresdenThe Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden is an orchestra based in Dresden, Germany founded in 1548 by Kurfürst Moritz of Saxony. It is one of the world's oldest orchestras...
, the first conductor in the orchestra's history to hold that title. In 1995, Davis began his tenure as Principal Conductor of the
London Symphony OrchestraThe London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:...
(LSO). From 1998-2003, he was Principal Guest Conductor of the
New York PhilharmonicThe New York Philharmonic is a symphony orchestra based in New York City in the United States. It is one of the American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five"...
. Davis concluded his tenure as the LSO's Principal Conductor on 31 December 2006, and became President of the LSO on 1 January 2007. Maestro Davis is also International Chair of Orchestral Studies at the
Royal Academy of MusicThe Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a conservatoire, Britain's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999. The Academy was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French harpist and composer Nicolas...
, London, and president of the Landesgymnasium für Musik "Carl Maria von Weber" in
DresdenDresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
Davis has developed from the enthusiastic, impulsive firebrand of his early years into a mature master; yet he remains as passionate and involved in his work as ever. He is essentially a visionary and an inspirational conductor, and has often managed to bring those characteristics into the recording studio. His extensive discography ranges from thrilling accounts of
BeethovenLudwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. He was a crucial figure in the transitional period between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western classical music, and remains one of the most acclaimed and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, of the Electorate of Cologne and...
’s Seventh Symphony (with the
RPOThe abbreviation RPO could refer to:* Railway Post Office - a mobile Post Office set up in a railway car* Recovery Point Objective - a Disaster Recovery concept in IT...
) and
StravinskyIgor Fyodorovich Stravinsky was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor, widely acknowledged as one of the most important and influential composers of 20th century music. He was a quintessentially cosmopolitan Russian who was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people of...
's
Oedipus rexOedipus rex is an "Opera-oratorio after Sophocles" by Igor Stravinsky, scored for orchestra, speaker, soloists, and male chorus. The libretto, based on Sophocles's tragedy, was written by Jean Cocteau in French and then translated by Abbé Jean Daniélou into Latin...
(with Sadler’s Wells), both from 1961, through much Mozart and Berlioz (
IdomeneoIdomeneo, re di Creta ossia Ilia e Idamante is an Italian language opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The libretto was adapted by Giambattista Varesco from a French text by Antoine Danchet, which had been set to music by André Campra as Idoménée in 1712...
,
Don GiovanniDon Giovanni is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and with Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It was premiered in the Estates Theatre in Prague on October 29, 1787...
,
Così fan tutteCosì fan tutte, ossia La scuola degli amanti K. 588, is an opera buffa by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The libretto was written by Lorenzo Da Ponte....
,
La clemenza di TitoLa clemenza di Tito , K. 621, is an opera seria composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with text after Metastasio. It was started after the bulk of The Magic Flute, the last opera that Mozart worked on, was already written .-Background:In July 1791, the last year of his life,...
,
GounodCharles-François Gounod was a French composer, best known for his Ave Maria as well as his operas Faust and Roméo et Juliette.-Biography:...
's
Roméo et JulietteRoméo et Juliette is an opéra in five acts by Charles Gounod to a French libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré, based on The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare...
and Berlioz's
Les TroyensLes Troyens is a French opera in five acts by Hector Berlioz. The libretto was written by Berlioz himself, based on Virgil's epic poem The Aeneid...
and
Benvenuto CelliniBenvenuto Cellini is an opera in two acts with music by Hector Berlioz and libretto by Léon de Wailly and Auguste Barbier. It was the first of Berlioz's three operas. The story is loosely based on the memoirs of the Florentine sculptor Benvenuto Cellini. The opera is technically very challenging...
, are especially notable) to his pioneering
TippettSir Michael Kemp Tippett OM CH CBE was one of the foremost English composers of the 20th century. -Early years:Tippett was born in London of English and Cornish stock...
, his impassioned Sibelius and his powerfully individual readings of
BrittenEdward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, violist and pianist.-Life:...
’s
Peter GrimesPeter Grimes is an opera by Benjamin Britten, with a libretto adapted by Montagu Slater from the Peter Grimes section of George Crabbe's poem The Borough...
and
The Turn of the ScrewThe Turn of the Screw is a 20th century English chamber opera composed by Benjamin Britten with a libretto by Myfanwy Piper, based on the novella The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. The world premiere of the opera was given on September 14th, 1954, at the Teatro La Fenice, Venice during the...
.
Aside from his championing of Tippett and his interpretations of Mozart, Davis is particularly closely associated with the music of
Hector Berlioz Hector Berlioz was a French Romantic composer, best known for his compositions Symphonie fantastique and Grande Messe des morts . Berlioz made significant contributions to the modern orchestra with his Treatise on Instrumentation...
, giving many performances of his operas and orchestral works and conducting the first complete set of his works on disc (recorded by
PhilipsPhilips Records is a record label that was founded by Dutch electronics giant Philips. It was started as Philips Phonographische Industries in 1950. During much of the 1950s, it served to distribute recordings made by the US Columbia Records and Columbia Masterworks Records labels in the United...
),
Benjamin BrittenEdward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, violist and pianist.-Life:...
, and
Jean SibeliusJean Sibelius was a Finnish composer of the later Romantic period whose music played an important role in the formation of the Finnish national identity....
. He has recorded all of the major works of Berlioz and many of the works of Tippett, as well as the complete piano concertos of
Ludwig van BeethovenLudwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. He was a crucial figure in the transitional period between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western classical music, and remains one of the most acclaimed and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, of the Electorate of Cologne and...
and
Franz LisztFranz Liszt was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist and teacher....
with
Claudio ArrauClaudio Arrau León was a Chilean pianist known for his interpretations of a vast repertoire spanning from the baroque to 20th-century composers, especially Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Schumann, Liszt, Brahms and Debussy...
.
Recordings with the Boston Symphony Orchestra on Philips
- Claude Debussy
Achille-Claude Debussy was a French composer. Along with Maurice Ravel, he was one of the most prominent figures working within the field of Impressionist music, though he himself intensely disliked the term when applied to his compositions...
: La Mer (1982)
- Claude Debussy
Achille-Claude Debussy was a French composer. Along with Maurice Ravel, he was one of the most prominent figures working within the field of Impressionist music, though he himself intensely disliked the term when applied to his compositions...
: Three Nocturnes with the women of the Tangelwood Festival Chorus (1982)
- Edvard Grieg
Edvard Hagerup Grieg was a Norwegian composer and pianist who composed in the Romantic period. He is best known for his Piano Concerto in A minor, for his incidental music to Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt , and for his collection of piano miniatures Lyric...
: Piano Concerto, with Claudio ArrauClaudio Arrau León was a Chilean pianist known for his interpretations of a vast repertoire spanning from the baroque to 20th-century composers, especially Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Schumann, Liszt, Brahms and Debussy...
(1980)
- Felix Mendelssohn
Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, born, and generally known in English-speaking countries, as Felix Mendelssohn was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period....
: A Midsummer's Night Dream - incidental music (1975)
- Felix Mendelssohn
Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, born, and generally known in English-speaking countries, as Felix Mendelssohn was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period....
: Symphony No. 4 (1975)
- Franz Schubert
Franz Peter Schubert was an Austrian composer. He wrote some 600 Lieder, nine symphonies , liturgical music, operas, some incidental music, and a large body of chamber and solo piano music...
: Rosamunde - incidental music (1982)
- Franz Schubert
Franz Peter Schubert was an Austrian composer. He wrote some 600 Lieder, nine symphonies , liturgical music, operas, some incidental music, and a large body of chamber and solo piano music...
: Symphony No. 9 (1980)
- Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann, sometimes given as Robert Alexander Schumann, was a German composer, aesthete and influential music critic...
: Piano Concerto, with Claudio ArrauClaudio Arrau León was a Chilean pianist known for his interpretations of a vast repertoire spanning from the baroque to 20th-century composers, especially Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Schumann, Liszt, Brahms and Debussy...
(1980)
- Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius was a Finnish composer of the later Romantic period whose music played an important role in the formation of the Finnish national identity....
: Symphony No. 1 (1976)
- Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius was a Finnish composer of the later Romantic period whose music played an important role in the formation of the Finnish national identity....
: Symphony No. 2 (1976)
- Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius was a Finnish composer of the later Romantic period whose music played an important role in the formation of the Finnish national identity....
: Symphony No. 3 (1976)
- Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius was a Finnish composer of the later Romantic period whose music played an important role in the formation of the Finnish national identity....
: Symphony No. 4 (1975)
- Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius was a Finnish composer of the later Romantic period whose music played an important role in the formation of the Finnish national identity....
: Symphony No. 5 (1976)
- Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius was a Finnish composer of the later Romantic period whose music played an important role in the formation of the Finnish national identity....
: Symphony No. 6 (1976)
- Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius was a Finnish composer of the later Romantic period whose music played an important role in the formation of the Finnish national identity....
: Symphony No. 7 (1975)
- Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius was a Finnish composer of the later Romantic period whose music played an important role in the formation of the Finnish national identity....
: En Saga (1980)
- Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius was a Finnish composer of the later Romantic period whose music played an important role in the formation of the Finnish national identity....
: Finlandia (1976)
- Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius was a Finnish composer of the later Romantic period whose music played an important role in the formation of the Finnish national identity....
: Karelia Suite (1979)
- Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius was a Finnish composer of the later Romantic period whose music played an important role in the formation of the Finnish national identity....
: Pohjola’s Daughter (1979)
- Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius was a Finnish composer of the later Romantic period whose music played an important role in the formation of the Finnish national identity....
: Swan of Tuonela( 1976)
- Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius was a Finnish composer of the later Romantic period whose music played an important role in the formation of the Finnish national identity....
: Tapiola (1976)
- Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius was a Finnish composer of the later Romantic period whose music played an important role in the formation of the Finnish national identity....
: Valse triste (1980)
- Peter Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No.1, with Claudio Arrau
Claudio Arrau León was a Chilean pianist known for his interpretations of a vast repertoire spanning from the baroque to 20th-century composers, especially Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Schumann, Liszt, Brahms and Debussy...
(1979)
- Peter Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture with the Tangelwood Festival Chorus (1980)
- Peter Tchaikovsky: Romeo and Juliet Overture (1979)
Awards
Davis was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1965 New Year Honours,
knightedThe rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
in the 1980 New Year Honours, and appointed Companion of Honour in the 2001
Queen's Birthday HonoursThe Queen's Birthday Honours is a civic occasion on the celebration of the Queen's Official Birthday in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named...
.
Pipe Smoker of the YearPipe Smoker of the Year was an award given out annually by the British Pipesmokers' Council, to honour a famous pipe-smoking individual. Because of regulations banning all advertising and promotion of tobacco, the award was discontinued....
in 1996. Male Artist of the Year by the
Classical Brit AwardsThe Classical BRIT Awards are an annual awards ceremony held in the United Kingdom covering aspects of classical music, and are the classical equivalent of pop music's Grammy or BRIT Awards....
2008. His recording of Verdi's Falstaff has won the
Grammy AwardThe Grammy Awards —or Grammys—are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States for outstanding achievements in the music industry...
for Best Opera at the 48th annual Grammy Awards.
Personal life
His father, Reginald, was a soldier during
World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
. His mother, Lillian, played the piano. He had two brothers, Norman and Howard, and four sisters. Howard worked as a clerk at the Bank of England, and died in
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Norman became a teacher of classics and died in the 1960s. Yvonne is retired from teaching. Colin Davis attended
Christ's HospitalChrist's Hospital is a coeducational independent boarding school located in the countryside just south of Horsham, West Sussex, England...
in
SussexSussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is a historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
before studying clarinet in London
In 1949, Davis married the soprano April Cantelo. They had two children, Suzanne and Christopher. Their marriage ended in 1964, and in that same year, Davis met his second wife at an Iranian diplomatic party in London. To satisfy both the Iranian and British authorities, the couple were married three times, once in Iran and twice in the UK, in the Iranian Embassy as well as in a regular UK civil ceremony; they have five children.
Portrait bust
Colin Davis agreed to let sculptor
Alan ThornhillAlan Thornhill is a British artist and sculptor whose long association with clay developed from pottery into sculpture. His evolved methods of working enabled the dispensing of the sculptural armature to allow improvisation, whilst his portraiture challenges notions of normality through rigorous...
work on a portrait in clay while he was conducting rehearsals. The correspondence file relating to the Davis bust is held in the archive of the
Henry Moore FoundationThe Henry Moore Foundation is a registered charity in England, established for education and promotion of the fine arts — in particular, to advance understanding of the works of Henry Moore. The charity was set up with the assistance of Mr. Moore in 1977...
's Henry Moore Institute in
LeedsLeeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. The historic core at the heart of Leeds in 2001 had an estimated subdivision population of 443,247, whilst the entire city, that includes the urban and suburban areas incorporated into the city in 1974, had an estimated...
and the terracotta remains in the collection of the artist.
External links