James Loughran
Encyclopedia
James Loughran CBE
, DMus., FRNCM, FRSAMD (born 30 June 1931, Glasgow
, Scotland
) is a Scottish
conductor
.
in Glasgow
, Loughran conducted at school and afterwards, while studying economics and law. When he sought the advice of one of the Scottish National Orchestra's conductors, Karl Rankl
, on how to develop his musical career, Rankl suggested that he gain experience by working in the German opera house system. Loughran therefore obtained a position as a répétiteur with the Bonn Opera in 1958, where he came into contact with Peter Maag
, and subsequently worked in the same capacity with the Netherlands Opera and in Italy, in Milan
.
Loughran began his conducting career with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
after winning the 1961 Philharmonia Orchestra
's Conducting Competition judged by Otto Klemperer
, Carlo Maria Giulini
, Adrian Boult
and the Orchestra. In Bournemouth, Loughran worked alongside the orchestra's chief conductor Constantin Silvestri
. Loughran made his Covent Garden
debut with Verdi's Aida
in 1964, which led to Benjamin Britten
inviting him to be Music Director of the English Opera Group.
(BBC SSO) from 1965-1971. He subsequently became principal conductor of The Hallé
as of the 1971-1972 season, succeeding Sir John Barbirolli. He held the post until 1983, and was conductor laureate of The Hallé from 1983 to 1991.
Other work in the UK included conducting the first concert of the newly formed Scottish Chamber Orchestra
in 1974. He also led the Last Night of the Proms five times, between 1977 and 1985. He was principal guest conductor of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales
from 1987 to 1990.
Outside of the UK, Loughran was principal conductor of the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra
from 1979 to 1983, the first British conductor to be appointed chief of a major German orchestra. In Denmark, he was chief conductor of the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra from 1996 to 2003. He made his American debut in 1972, conducting the New York Philharmonic
. Since 1980, James Loughran has been Permanent Guest Conductor of the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra
, who made him Honorary Conductor in 2006.
James Loughran was made a Freeman of the City of London in 1991, and in the 2010 New Year Honours he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). He is also President of Edinburgh Youth Orchestra and a Fellow of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama.
won a Gold Disc from EMI and there was universal praise for his Beethoven, Brahms and Elgar cycle of symphonies. Other recordings include the Brahms piano concertos with John Lill
, Brahms' Violin Concerto with Maurice Hasson
, Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique
and Rachmaninov’s Symphony No. 2, as well as notable readings of Walton's Belshazzar's Feast
and works by the Strauss family. He also recorded the complete Beethoven symphonies with the London Symphony Orchestra
as part of the European Broadcasting Union
's Beethoven Bicentenary celebrations in 1970.
Loughran also conducted Havergal Brian
's Symphony No. 10 for the very first commercial recording of any of Brian's music, with the Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra
. The recording was released on Unicorn Records
in 1973, along with Brian's Symphony No. 21, conducted by Eric Pinkett
. The recording session also received television coverage on the programme Aquarius, under the title "The Unknown Warrior".
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, DMus., FRNCM, FRSAMD (born 30 June 1931, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
) is a Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
.
Early life
Educated at St Aloysius' CollegeSt. Aloysius' College, Glasgow
St. Aloysius' College is a selective fee-paying independent Jesuit school in Glasgow, Scotland. It was founded in 1859, and named after the famous Jesuit, Aloysius Gonzaga. Its strong Jesuit ethos emphasises practice of the Roman Catholic faith both in the church and in the community, with many...
in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Loughran conducted at school and afterwards, while studying economics and law. When he sought the advice of one of the Scottish National Orchestra's conductors, Karl Rankl
Karl Rankl
Karl Rankl was a British conductor and composer of Austrian birth. A pupil of the composers Schoenberg and Webern, he conducted at opera houses in Austria, Germany and Czechoslovakia until fleeing from the Nazis and taking refuge in England in 1939.Rankl was appointed musical director of the...
, on how to develop his musical career, Rankl suggested that he gain experience by working in the German opera house system. Loughran therefore obtained a position as a répétiteur with the Bonn Opera in 1958, where he came into contact with Peter Maag
Peter Maag
-Life:He was born on 10 May 1919 in St. Gallen, Switzerland and died on 16 April 2001 in Verona, Italy.His father, Otto, was a Lutheran minister and his mother, Nelly, a violinist who performed in the Capet Quartet as second violinist. His great uncles were conductors Emil and Fritz Steinbach. ...
, and subsequently worked in the same capacity with the Netherlands Opera and in Italy, in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
.
Loughran began his conducting career with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra is an English orchestra. Originally based in Bournemouth, the BSO moved its offices to the adjacent town of Poole in 1979....
after winning the 1961 Philharmonia Orchestra
Philharmonia Orchestra
The Philharmonia Orchestra is one of the leading orchestras in Great Britain, based in London. Since 1995, it has been based in the Royal Festival Hall. In Britain it is also the resident orchestra at De Montfort Hall, Leicester and the Corn Exchange, Bedford, as well as The Anvil, Basingstoke...
's Conducting Competition judged by Otto Klemperer
Otto Klemperer
Otto Klemperer was a German conductor and composer. He is widely regarded as one of the leading conductors of the 20th century.-Biography:Otto Klemperer was born in Breslau, Silesia Province, then in Germany...
, Carlo Maria Giulini
Carlo Maria Giulini
Carlo Maria Giulini was an Italian conductor.-Biography:Giulini was born in Barletta, Italy, to a father born in Lombardy and a mother born in Naples; but he was raised in Bolzano, which at the time of his birth was part of Austria...
, Adrian Boult
Adrian Boult
Sir Adrian Cedric Boult CH was an English conductor. Brought up in a prosperous mercantile family he followed musical studies in England and at Leipzig, Germany, with early conducting work in London for the Royal Opera House and Sergei Diaghilev's ballet company. His first prominent post was...
and the Orchestra. In Bournemouth, Loughran worked alongside the orchestra's chief conductor Constantin Silvestri
Constantin Silvestri
-Early life:Silvestri, born of Austro-Italian-Romanian stock, was brought up on his own by his mother, his father dying from alcoholism and his stepfather dying when the boy was 16. He had learnt how to play the piano and organ before the age of 6. He played the piano in public at 10 and was a...
. Loughran made his 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...
debut with Verdi's Aida
Aida
Aida sometimes spelled Aïda, is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni, based on a scenario written by French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette...
in 1964, which led to Benjamin Britten
Benjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to...
inviting him to be Music Director of the English Opera Group.
Career
Loughran was chief conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony OrchestraBBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra is a broadcasting symphony orchestra based in Glasgow, Scotland. One of five full-time orchestras maintained by the British Broadcasting Corporation , it is the oldest full-time professional orchestra in Scotland...
(BBC SSO) from 1965-1971. He subsequently became principal conductor of The Hallé
The Hallé
The Hallé is a symphony orchestra based in Manchester, England. It is the UK's oldest extant symphony orchestra , supports a choir, youth choir and a youth orchestra, and releases its recordings on its own record label, though it has occasionally released recordings on Angel Records and EMI...
as of the 1971-1972 season, succeeding Sir John Barbirolli. He held the post until 1983, and was conductor laureate of The Hallé from 1983 to 1991.
Other work in the UK included conducting the first concert of the newly formed Scottish Chamber Orchestra
Scottish Chamber Orchestra
The Scottish Chamber Orchestra is Scotland's national chamber orchestra, based in Edinburgh. One of Scotland’s five National Performing Arts Companies, the SCO performs throughout Scotland, including annual tours of the Scottish Highlands and Islands and South of Scotland. The SCO appears...
in 1974. He also led the Last Night of the Proms five times, between 1977 and 1985. He was principal guest conductor of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
The BBC National Orchestra of Wales is a Welsh symphony orchestra and one of the BBC's five professional orchestras. The BBC NOW is the only professional symphony orchestra organisation in Wales, occupying a dual role as both a broadcasting orchestra and national orchestra.The BBC NOW has its...
from 1987 to 1990.
Outside of the UK, Loughran was principal conductor of the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra
Bamberg Symphony Orchestra
The Bamberg Symphony is a German orchestra based in Bamberg and well known for its artistic excellence and frequent international touring...
from 1979 to 1983, the first British conductor to be appointed chief of a major German orchestra. In Denmark, he was chief conductor of the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra from 1996 to 2003. He made his American debut in 1972, conducting the New York Philharmonic
New York Philharmonic
The 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"...
. Since 1980, James Loughran has been Permanent Guest Conductor of the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra
Japan Philharmonic Orchestra
The , is an orchestra based in Tokyo, Japan.-History:The Japan Philharmonic Orchestra was founded on June 22, 1956, as the exclusive subsidiary orchestra under the Nippon Cultural Broadcasting. Akeo Watanabe served the first Chief conductor of the orchestra...
, who made him Honorary Conductor in 2006.
James Loughran was made a Freeman of the City of London in 1991, and in the 2010 New Year Honours he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). He is also President of Edinburgh Youth Orchestra and a Fellow of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama.
Recordings
Loughran's Hallé recording of Holst's The PlanetsThe Planets
The Planets, Op. 32, is a seven-movement orchestral suite by the English composer Gustav Holst, written between 1914 and 1916. Each movement of the suite is named after a planet of the Solar System and its corresponding astrological character as defined by Holst...
won a Gold Disc from EMI and there was universal praise for his Beethoven, Brahms and Elgar cycle of symphonies. Other recordings include the Brahms piano concertos with John Lill
John Lill
John Lill CBE is an English classical pianist.-Biography:Lill studied at the Royal College of Music and with Wilhelm Kempff. His talent emerged at an early age, as he gave his first piano recital at the age of nine. At age 18, he performed Rachmaninoff's 3rd Piano Concerto under Sir Adrian Boult...
, Brahms' Violin Concerto with Maurice Hasson
Maurice Hasson
Maurice Hasson , is a French-Venezuelan violinist and a professor of violin at the Royal Academy of Music.-Biography:Born in France in 1934, and studied violin at the Paris Conservatoire, where he won a First Prize for Violin and a "Grand Prix" for chamber music...
, Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique
Symphonie Fantastique
Symphonie Fantastique: Épisode de la vie d'un Artiste...en cinq parties , Op. 14, is a program symphony written by the French composer Hector Berlioz in 1830. It is one of the most important and representative pieces of the early Romantic period, and is still very popular with concert audiences...
and Rachmaninov’s Symphony No. 2, as well as notable readings of Walton's Belshazzar's Feast
Belshazzar's Feast
Belshazzar's Feast is described in the Book of Daniel. The Babylonian king Belshazzar profanes the sacred vessels of the enslaved Israelites. As prophesied by the writing on the wall, and interpreted by Daniel, Belshazzar is killed and Darius the Mede succeeds to his kingdom.There are many...
and works by the Strauss family. He also recorded the complete Beethoven symphonies with the London Symphony Orchestra
London Symphony Orchestra
The 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:...
as part of the European Broadcasting Union
European Broadcasting Union
The European Broadcasting Union is a confederation of 74 broadcasting organisations from 56 countries, and 49 associate broadcasters from a further 25...
's Beethoven Bicentenary celebrations in 1970.
Loughran also conducted Havergal Brian
Havergal Brian
Havergal Brian , was a British classical composer.Brian acquired a legendary status at the time of his rediscovery in the 1950s and 1960s for the many symphonies he had managed to write. By the end of his life he had completed 32, an unusually large number for any composer since Haydn or Mozart...
's Symphony No. 10 for the very first commercial recording of any of Brian's music, with the Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra
Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra
The Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra is a youth orchestra based in Leicester, England. The players, aged between 15 and 18, are all drawn from secondary schools in the county of Leicestershire and the City of Leicester.-History:...
. The recording was released on Unicorn Records
Unicorn-Kanchana
Unicorn-Kanchana was a British independent record label. Originally known as Unicorn Records, the name Kanchana was added later to distinguish the company from Unicorn Records of Montréal, Canada...
in 1973, along with Brian's Symphony No. 21, conducted by Eric Pinkett
Eric Pinkett
Eric Pinkett O.B.E. , was the founder of the internationally famous Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra. He established the Leicestershire County School of Music in 1948 and continued to conduct the orchestra until his retirement in 1976.His memoirs were published in 1969 by way of a 21st...
. The recording session also received television coverage on the programme Aquarius, under the title "The Unknown Warrior".