News
Sir Charles Mackerras: 17 November 1925 - 14 July 2010
RPS Gold Medallist Sir Charles Mackerras has died in London at the age of 84.
Sir Charles Mackerras was an Australian-born conductor, renowned for his authority on the operas of Janáček. He began his musical career initially as an oboist with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra during World War II, becoming its principal oboe in 1946 and, five years on, their chief conductor.
Sir Charles Mackerras was Conductor Laureate of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Conductor Emeritus of the Welsh National Opera, Principal Guest Conductor Emeritus of the San Francisco Opera, Conductor Emeritus of the OAE and Principal Guest Conductor of the Philharmonia Orchestra. A specialist in Czech repertory, Sir Charles was Principal Guest Conductor of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra from 1997 - 2003, following his life-long association with both the Orchestra and many aspects of Czech musical life.
He regularly conducted at the major opera houses, serving nobly as Music Directors of both English National Opera (1970-77) with whom he had a lifelong association, and Welsh National Opera (1987-92) as well as developing particularly close relationships with The Royal Opera House, The Metropolitan Opera, and San Francisco Opera. He celebrated his his 80th birthday and his 50th anniversary with the Royal Opera House in 2005, conducting 'Un Ballo in Maschera'..He marked his 55th year at the Edinburgh Festival in 2006 conducting the complete Beethoven Symphonies.
His recordings of the Mozart, Brahms, Mahler and Beethoven symphonies as well as the Mozart operas continue to attract critical acclaim and his vast discography includes an award-winning cycle of Janacek operas with the Vienna Philharmonic.
Sir Charles was made a Commander of the British Empire in 1974 and in 1979 was knighted for his services to music. In 1996 he received The Medal of Merit from the Czech Republic and in 1997 he was made a Companion of the Order of Australia. In 2003 Sir Charles was made a Companion of Honour in the Queen's Birthday Honours. In 2005 he was the first recipient of the Queen’s Medal for Music and was presented with the Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal with the following citation:
Sir Charles Mackerras is one of the great musicians of our age who as a conductor and scholar has illuminated a vast range of familiar and less well-known repertoire and who has maintained the highest musical standards throughout his varied and distinguished career. He receives the Gold Medal for his research into the performance practice of the 18th and 19th centuries and his interpretations of Handel, Mozart, Beethoven and Brahms; for his championship of British Music, in particular the music of Sir Arthur Sullivan, Sir Edward Elgar and Frederick Delius and for his authoritative performances of Czech music and his single-handed pioneering of the operas of Janácek.