John Eliot Gardiner

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Sir John Eliot Gardiner CBE (born April 20, 1943, Fontmell Magna, Dorset, England) is an English conductor. He founded the Monteverdi Choir (1966), the English Baroque Soloists (1978) and the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique (1990). Gardiner has recorded over 250 albums with these and other musical ensembles, most of which have been published by Deutsche Grammophon and Philips Classics. ^[1] John Eliot Gardiner is most famous for his interpretations of Baroque music on period instruments with the Monteverdi Choir and the English Baroque Soloists. His repertoire and discography are not limited to Early music. With the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique Gardiner has performed a wide range of Classical and Romantic music, including many works of Hector Berlioz and all of Beethoven's symphonies. A recording of the third symphony of the latter was used in a dramatisation by the BBC of Beethoven's writing of that symphony.^[2] Gardiner has served as chief conductor of the North German Radio Symphony Orchestra and has appeared as guest conductor of some of the most famous orchestras including the Philharmonia, Boston, Cleveland, Royal Concertgebouw and Vienna Philharmonic orchestras.

Contents 1 Career 1.1 Honours and awards 2 Family 3 References 4 Media 5 External links

[edit] Career

John Eliot Gardiner first took up the baton at the age of fifteen. As an undergraduate at King's College, Cambridge he studied history and Arabic. He toured the Middle East conducting the Oxford and Cambridge singers. During his time in Cambridge he founded, in 1964, his first musical ensemble, the Monteverdi Choir. With the Monteverdi Choir he made his conducting debut at the Wigmore Hall in London in 1966. To complement the Monteverdi Choir he formed the Monteverdi Orchestra in 1968, who played on modern instruments, but after changing to period instruments in 1977 they became known as the English Baroque Soloists. After graduating from King's College, Cambridge, he studied at King's College London with Thurston Dart and with the influential French music professor Nadia Boulanger.

In 1969 Gardiner made his debut on the opera stage with a performance of Mozart's the Die Zauberflöte at the English National Opera. Four years later, in 1973, he first appeared at Covent Garden conducting Gluck's Iphigénie en Tauride. In 1977 he transformed the Monteverdi Orchestra to the English Baroque Soloists; they made their debut with him in that year's Innsbruck Festival of Early Music, performing Händel's Acis and Galatea on period instruments. His American debut came in 1979 when he conducted the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Shortly thereafter he was the lead conductor of Canada's CBC Vancouver Orchestra. He held this post from 1980 to 1983.^[3]

After his period with the CBC Vancouver Orchestra, Gardiner went to France. From 1983 to 1988 he was Music Director of the Opéra National de Lyon. During his period with the Opéra he founded an entirely new orchestra.^[4]During his time with the Opéra National de Lyon Gardiner was also Artistic Director of the Göttingen Handel Festival (1981 until 1990). ^[5] In 1989 the Monteverdi Choir had its 25th anniversary, touring the world giving performances of Monteverdi's Vespro della Beata Vergine 1610. In 1990, Gardiner formed a new period-instrument orchestra, the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique, to perform music of the 19th century. From 1991 until 1994 he was principal conductor of the North German Radio Symphony Orchestra.

In the 1990s he undertook more world tours with his ensembles, including:

• A European tour in 1993 with the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique featured Berlioz's rediscovered Messe solennelle. Beginning in Bremen, Germany the tour ended with a recorded performance in Westminster Cathedral, London 1993. ^[6][7]
• In 2000, Gardiner set out on his Bach Cantata Pilgrimage, performing, over a 52-week period, all of Bach's sacred cantatas in churches around Europe and the United States.^[8]
• In late 2004, Gardiner toured Spain with the Monteverdi Choir performing pieces from the Codex Compostelanus in cathedrals and churches along the Camino de Santiago.^[9]

[edit] Honours and awards

Gardiner has received a variety of honours and awards.^[10] In particular:

• Honorary doctorate from the University of Lyon, 1987^[11]
• Commander in the Order of the British Empire, 1990 New Year Honours^[12]
• Honorary Fellow of King's College and the Royal Academy of Music, 1992^[13]
• Grammy, Best Choral Performance, 1994^[14]
• Knight Bachelor, 1998^[15]
• Grammy, Best Opera Recording, 1999^[16]
• Doctorate Honoris Causa in Musicology at the University of Cremona (birthplace of Claudio Monteverdi) , 2006 ^[17]

[edit] Family

Gardiner was married to violinist Elizabeth Wilcock from 1981 to 1997; they have three daughters. In 2001 he married Isabella de Sabata, granddaughter of conductor Victor de Sabata.^[18] In his spare time, Gardiner runs an organic farm in North Dorset, which was set up by his great uncle, composer Henry Balfour Gardiner.

[edit] References

[edit] Media

Sir Gardiner directs J.S.Bach BWV 248. Video on youtube

[edit] External links

• Monteverdi Productions
• Concordance covering all Bach's vocal works recorded by John Eliot Gardiner
• musicOMH.com: Interview with John Eliot Gardiner
• Goldberg Magazine: Interview with John Eliot Gardiner

Preceded by no predecessor	Music Director, Opéra National de Lyon 1983–1988	Succeeded by Kent Nagano
Preceded by Günter Wand	Chief Conductor, North German Radio Symphony Orchestra 1991–1994	Succeeded by Herbert Blomstedt

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