Roger Norrington

Innovarive, inquisitive, and a transformative force in historically informed performance, Roger Norrington has with justice been called "arguably the most important British conductor of the last half century... a man who has emphatically changed classical music for che better." (The Guardian). His vital interpretations of Beethoven's complete symphonies with the London Classical Players - the orchestra he formed in 1978 - both challenged and altered perceptions. Excitedly welcomed by critics and listeners, they launched a fruitful collaboration with EMI Classics. It produced a discography ranging from Purcell, Handel and Mozart to Berlioz, Wagner, Brahms and Bruckner, and encompassing orchestral works, choral works and opera. In the recording studio, Norrington drew on his experience as founder of the Schütz Choir and founding music director of Kent Opera, on his penetrating insights into repertoire and performing style, on his collegial relationship with his musicians, and on his ready wit.