Sir John Eliot Gardiner

The conductor
Sir John Eliot Gardiner
Infos and Photographs by Deutsche Grammophon, Hamburg
www.deutschegrammophon.com

Born in Dorset (England) in 1943, Gardiner first took up the baton at the age of fifteen. As an undergraduate student at Cambridge University, he toured the Middle East conducting the Oxford and Cambridge Singers before founding the Monteverdi Choir in 1964. After graduating, he studied with Thurston Dart in London and with Nadia Boulanger in Paris.

John Eliot Gardiner made his London opera debut with Die Zauberflöte in 1969 at the English National Opera, and he first appeared at Covent Garden in 1973 conducting Gluck's Iphigénie en Tauride. His American debut came in 1979 when he led the Dallas Symphony. Upon the occasion of their 25th anniversary in 1989, Gardiner toured the world with the Monteverdi Choir giving performances of Monteverdi's Vespers of 1610 (recorded for release on film, video and disc by ARCHIV PRODUKTION).

In 1968, John Eliot Gardiner formed the Monteverdi Orchestra. Almost ten years later, the English Baroque Soloists - formed from members of the Monteverdi Orchestra made their debut at the 1977 Innsbruck Festival of Early Music performing Handel's Acis and Galatea on period instruments. In 1990, he formed a new period instrument orchestra to perform Classical and Romantic music, the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique.

John Eliot Gardiner has been entrusted with numerous important positions by leading orchestras, opera houses and festivals. He was Principal Conductor from 1980 to 1983 of the CBC Vancouver Orchestra. In a highly successful period as Music Director of the Opéra de Lyons (1983-1988), he established an entirely new orchestra, now regarded as one of the finest in France. From 1981 until 1990 he was Artistic Director of the Göttingen Handel Festival, and, from 1991 until 1994, Principal Conductor of the NDR (North German Radio) Symphony Orchestra in Hamburg. As a guest conductor, he has appeared with major orchestras including the Philharmonia, Cleveland, Royal Concertgebouw and Wiener Philharmoniker Orchestras. In 1990, he led the Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists in their debut at the Salzburg Festival, where he has been a regular guest since then. John Eliot Gardiner has undertaken numerous tours with the Monteverdi Choir and the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique.

This acclaimed conductor's accolades include "Artist of the Year 1994" (GRAMOPHONE AWARD), "Conductor of the Year" (KLASSIK ECHO AWARDS 1995) and "Best Conductor" (CANNES CLASSICAL AWARD 1995). In 1994 John Eliot Gardiner was named "Classical Artist of the Year" (GERMAN RECORD CRITICS AWARD) and in 1995 he was the first conductor to receive the DIETRICH BUXTEHUDE PRIZE. John Eliot Gardiner holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Lyons (1987) and was named "Officier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres" (1988) and "Commander of the British Empire" (1990). In 1992 he was made an honorary member of King's College, London and the Royal Academy of Music.

John Eliot Gardiner received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II at the June Birthday Honours in 1998.

Sir John Eliot Gardiner is known as one of the most exciting and versatile conductors of our time. Acknowledged as a key figure in the early music revival, he has consistently gone against the prevailing orthodoxy through his particular combination of scholarship and inspired musicianship.

Founder and artistic director of the Monteverdi Choir, the English Baroque Soloists and the Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique, John Eliot Gardiner’s performances in concert and on record are unmistakeable both for their zest and technical mastery and the highly personal readings of music from Monteverdi to Verdi and beyond. John Eliot Gardiner is known as one of the most exciting and versatile conductors of our time. Acknowledged as a key figure in the early music revival, he has consistently gone against the prevailing orthodoxy through his particular combination of scholarship and inspired musicianship.

Founder and artistic director of the Monteverdi Choir, the English Baroque Soloists and the Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique, John Eliot Gardiner’s performances in concert and on record are unmistakeable both for their zest and technical mastery and the highly personal readings of music from Monteverdi to Verdi and beyond.

Alongside the activities with his own ensembles, John Eliot Gardiner appears regularly as guest conductor with the Vienna Philharmonic, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Philharmonia, Chamber Orchestra of Europe and in the USA the Boston and Cleveland orchestras. He was principal conductor of the NDR Sinfonieorchester in Hamburg for four years, and Music Director of the Opéra de Lyon, whose orchestra he founded, from 1982 until 1988.

After completing the cycle of Mozart’s seven mature operas in 1995, John Eliot Gardiner dedicated the summer of 1996 to Beethoven’s Leonore, which was performed throughout Europe, including the Salzburg Festival, and at the inaugural Lincoln Centre Festival in New York.

The extent of his repertoire is illustrated in over 250 recordings made for major European record companies, many for Erato Disques, which have received numerous international awards over the years. Gardiner has now won more Gramophone Awards than any other artist, and only Karajan has matched his achievement in winning three awards in one year.

In 1987 John Eliot Gardiner received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Lyon, and last year he was nominated Commandeur dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.

In the 1990 New year Honours List he was made a CBE and in 1992 he became an Honorary fellow of both King’s College, London, and the Royal Academy of Music.

In addition to performances of Manon Lescaut at Glyndebourne and his debut with the London Symphony Orchestra, recent engagements have included his debut with the Berlin Philharmonic at the Salzburg Festival. The second of a two-part festival dedicated to the music of Robert Schumann took place in Paris and London.

In December 1999 Mr. Gardiner started his "Bach Cantata Pilgrimage" with the Monteverdi Choir and the English Baroque Soloists. Gardiner and the ensembles are performing Bach´s cantatas in the whole world.