Frank Renton
Encyclopedia
Frank Renton is a British
musician
, conductor and broadcaster, and current host of Listen to the Band on BBC Radio Two, now in his fifteenth year with the programme.
An accomplished trumpet
player, Renton won a competition for young conductors at the 1967 Edinburgh Festival
,whilst employed as a musician in the British Army. Conducting appointments soon followed in West Germany, Cyprus, Singapore and Scotland, before returning to England as Director of a Military Music School in York
. He was Music Director for Versatile Brass for three years, and began conducting the Grimethorpe Colliery Band
. He has also worked extensively with the BBC Concert Orchestra
and BBC Radio Orchestra
, as well as writing and producing a number of musical programmes for BBC radio
.
In 1985 Renton was appointed Principal Conductor of the Royal Artillery Orchestrain London, then in 1988 accepted the dual appointment of Principal Director of Music for the Army and Director of the Royal Military School of Music at Kneller Hall in the rank of Lt. Colonel, the youngest person ever to hold the dual appointments. In 1988, he also became Principal Conductor of the British Concert Orchestra, and began to guest conduct all over the world. Through the series of Royal Concerts in London he conducted the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Halle Orchestra, the Orchestra of English National Opera and the Scottish National orchestra. and was awarded the Freedom of the City of London in 1986 He is also a member of the Worshipful Company of Musicians.
In 1993 as a direct result of the celebration of the Centenary of the Leeds City Charter and after a concert in Leeds Town Hall in which some 250 local wind players took part Frank Renton co-founded
and initially conducted the Yorkshire Wind Orchestra. This large wind ensemble of woodwind, brass and percussionists, performing to the highest possible standards, is now recognised as one of our leading community based ensembles.
In 2009 and 2010, he won with the 'Brass Band du Nord Pas-de-Calais' the French Brass Band Championship, helping to forge a new tradition for the brass band in France.
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...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, conductor and broadcaster, and current host of Listen to the Band on BBC Radio Two, now in his fifteenth year with the programme.
An accomplished trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
player, Renton won a competition for young conductors at the 1967 Edinburgh Festival
Edinburgh Festival
The Edinburgh Festival is a collective term for many arts and cultural festivals that take place in Edinburgh, Scotland each summer, mostly in August...
,whilst employed as a musician in the British Army. Conducting appointments soon followed in West Germany, Cyprus, Singapore and Scotland, before returning to England as Director of a Military Music School in York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
. He was Music Director for Versatile Brass for three years, and began conducting the Grimethorpe Colliery Band
Grimethorpe Colliery Band
The Grimethorpe Colliery Band is a brass band, based in Grimethorpe, South Yorkshire, England. It was formed in 1917, as a leisure activity for the workers at the colliery, by members of the disbanded Cudworth Colliery Band...
. He has also worked extensively with 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 BBC Radio Orchestra
BBC Radio Orchestra
The BBC Radio Orchestra was a broadcasting orchestra based in London, maintained by the British Broadcasting Corporation from 1965 until 1991....
, as well as writing and producing a number of musical programmes for BBC radio
BBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
.
In 1985 Renton was appointed Principal Conductor of the Royal Artillery Orchestrain London, then in 1988 accepted the dual appointment of Principal Director of Music for the Army and Director of the Royal Military School of Music at Kneller Hall in the rank of Lt. Colonel, the youngest person ever to hold the dual appointments. In 1988, he also became Principal Conductor of the British Concert Orchestra, and began to guest conduct all over the world. Through the series of Royal Concerts in London he conducted the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Halle Orchestra, the Orchestra of English National Opera and the Scottish National orchestra. and was awarded the Freedom of the City of London in 1986 He is also a member of the Worshipful Company of Musicians.
In 1993 as a direct result of the celebration of the Centenary of the Leeds City Charter and after a concert in Leeds Town Hall in which some 250 local wind players took part Frank Renton co-founded
and initially conducted the Yorkshire Wind Orchestra. This large wind ensemble of woodwind, brass and percussionists, performing to the highest possible standards, is now recognised as one of our leading community based ensembles.
In 2009 and 2010, he won with the 'Brass Band du Nord Pas-de-Calais' the French Brass Band Championship, helping to forge a new tradition for the brass band in France.