John Whitfield (conductor)
Encyclopedia
John Whitfield is a British musician and conductor from Darlington
, England. Whitfield was educated at Chetham's School of Music
and Keble College, Oxford
.
As a conductor he has toured for Arts Council Contemporary Music Network and performed at state occasions for Queen Elizabeth II
, given numerous broadcasts and recordings for BBC
radio 3, BBC 2 television, and ITV
, and made recordings for EMI of Britten
and Stravinsky
.
In the past decade he has worked very closely as both assistant and pupil of Sir Charles Mackerras
, whose generous guidance has been an inspiration and indeed a key to much of his music-making now.
He has conducted first performances and commissioned works from amongst others Harrison Birtwistle
, Dominic Muldowney, Michael Nyman, Nigel Osborne
, Giles Swayne
, Judith Weir
, and Mark Anthony Turnage.
. Before leaving Oxford he was invited in 1978 by Lillian Hochhauser to audition for Rudolph Barshai who immediately offered him the post of 1st bassoon
with the Israel Chamber Orchestra
.
As an orchestral player he has played for many famous conductors, and has been quoted as saying, “Learning scores from the inside of the orchestra at the hands of a master is a wonderful training!”
He has also edited performing editions of operas for the Royal Opera House
and the English National Opera
, and four Franz Lehár
operettas for publication by Weinberger. Ralph Vaughan Williams Limited has recently given permission for the publication of his arrangement for wind instruments of Williams
’s Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis.
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...
, England. Whitfield was educated at Chetham's School of Music
Chetham's School of Music
Chetham's School of Music , familiarly known as "Chets", is a specialist independent co-educational music school, situated in Manchester city centre, in North West England. It was established in 1969, incorporating Chetham's Hospital School, founded as a charity school by Humphrey Chetham in 1653...
and Keble College, Oxford
Keble College, Oxford
Keble College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its main buildings are on Parks Road, opposite the University Museum and the University Parks. The college is bordered to the north by Keble Road, to the south by Museum Road, and to the west by Blackhall...
.
Conducting career
In 1980 Whitfield was one of the founding members of the ensemble Endymion, which he has conducted at venues around the world. The ensemble is noted for its performances of modern classical music, particularly by British composers.As a conductor he has toured for Arts Council Contemporary Music Network and performed at state occasions for Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
, given numerous broadcasts and recordings for BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
radio 3, BBC 2 television, and ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
, and made recordings for EMI of 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...
and Stravinsky
Igor Stravinsky
Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ; 6 April 1971) was a Russian, later naturalized French, and then naturalized American composer, pianist, and conductor....
.
In the past decade he has worked very closely as both assistant and pupil of Sir Charles Mackerras
Charles Mackerras
Sir Alan Charles Maclaurin Mackerras, AC, CH, CBE was an Australian conductor. He was an authority on the operas of Janáček and Mozart, and the comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan...
, whose generous guidance has been an inspiration and indeed a key to much of his music-making now.
He has conducted first performances and commissioned works from amongst others Harrison Birtwistle
Harrison Birtwistle
Sir Harrison Paul Birtwistle CH is a British contemporary composer.-Life:Birtwistle was born in Accrington, a mill town in Lancashire some 20 miles north of Manchester. His interest in music was encouraged by his mother, who bought him a clarinet when he was seven, and arranged for him to have...
, Dominic Muldowney, Michael Nyman, Nigel Osborne
Nigel Osborne
Nigel Osborne MBE, FRCM is a British composer.He serves as Reid Professor of music at the University of Edinburgh and has been teaching at the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover.He studied composition with Kenneth Leighton ,...
, Giles Swayne
Giles Swayne
Giles Oliver Cairnes Swayne is a British composer.- Biography :Swayne is a cousin of Elizabeth Maconchy. He spent much of his childhood in Liverpool, and began composing at a young age...
, Judith Weir
Judith Weir
Judith Weir CBE, is a British composer.-Biography:Her music has been appreciated by audiences and critics alike. She trained with John Tavener while still at school and subsequently with Robin Holloway at King's College, Cambridge, graduating in 1976...
, and Mark Anthony Turnage.
Other Music-related Activities
Whitfield won several awards during his time playing the bassoon with the National Youth OrchestraNational Youth Orchestra
The National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain is an orchestra of 163 young musicians from the United Kingdom. The members of the orchestra are all aged between 13 and 19 years. The players are selected by auditions which take place in the autumn each year at various locations in the country...
. Before leaving Oxford he was invited in 1978 by Lillian Hochhauser to audition for Rudolph Barshai who immediately offered him the post of 1st bassoon
Bassoon
The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family that typically plays music written in the bass and tenor registers, and occasionally higher. Appearing in its modern form in the 19th century, the bassoon figures prominently in orchestral, concert band and chamber music literature...
with the Israel Chamber Orchestra
Israel Chamber Orchestra
The Israel Chamber Orchestra is an Israeli orchestra based in Tel Aviv-Jaffa. Primary funding comes from the Israel Ministry of Education and the Tel Aviv Jaffa Municipality....
.
As an orchestral player he has played for many famous conductors, and has been quoted as saying, “Learning scores from the inside of the orchestra at the hands of a master is a wonderful training!”
He has also edited performing editions of operas for the Royal Opera House
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
and the English National Opera
English National Opera
English National Opera is an opera company based in London, resident at the London Coliseum in St. Martin's Lane. It is one of the two principal opera companies in London, along with the Royal Opera, Covent Garden...
, and four Franz Lehár
Franz Lehár
Franz Lehár was an Austrian-Hungarian composer. He is mainly known for his operettas of which the most successful and best known is The Merry Widow .-Biography:...
operettas for publication by Weinberger. Ralph Vaughan Williams Limited has recently given permission for the publication of his arrangement for wind instruments of Williams
Ralph Vaughan Williams
Ralph Vaughan Williams OM was an English composer of symphonies, chamber music, opera, choral music, and film scores. He was also a collector of English folk music and song: this activity both influenced his editorial approach to the English Hymnal, beginning in 1904, in which he included many...
’s Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis.
Partial discography
- Dumbarton Oaks - EMI (1988); conducting Endymion; music of Igor Stravinsky.
- Lichtbogen - Finlandia FACD-361 (1989); conducting Endymion; music of Kaija SaariahoKaija SaariahoKaija Saariaho is a Finnish composer.Kaija Saariaho studied composition in Helsinki, Freiburg and Paris, where she has lived since 1982. Her studies and research at IRCAM have had a major influence on her music and her characteristically luxuriant and mysterious textures are often created by...
. - Phaedra/Les Illuminations - EMI (1995); conducting Endymion; music of Benjamin Britten.
Awards
- Worshipful Company of MusiciansWorshipful Company of MusiciansThe Worshipful Company of Musicians is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. Its history dates back to at least 1350. Originally a specialist guild for musicians, its role became an anachronism in the 18th century, when the centre of music making in London moved from the City to the...
Arthur Bulgin Medal - National Youth OrchestraNational Youth OrchestraThe National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain is an orchestra of 163 young musicians from the United Kingdom. The members of the orchestra are all aged between 13 and 19 years. The players are selected by auditions which take place in the autumn each year at various locations in the country...
Lloyds Bank Award - Silver Medal, Shell/London Symphony Orchestra Competition
External links
- Endymion It appears from the site that Whitfield has not worked with Endymion since at least 2003.
- Whitfield's listing at the Musician's Answering Service site