Roy Goodman

Roy Goodman

Conductor

 


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Official Programme Biography (400 words - February 2012)

Roy Goodman, now 61, is Principal Guest Conductor of the English Chamber Orchestra. He has worked as guest conductor with over 120 orchestras and opera companies worldwide - from Carnegie Hall in New York to the Royal Albert Hall Proms in London; from the Berlin Philharmonie to the Sydney Opera House. In 2011 Radio New Zealand affectionately named him the 'Rafa Nadal' of conductors.
[please visit: www.roygoodman.com].

Goodman is well known for his work as director and founder of the Brandenburg Consort (1975-2001), as co-director/founder of The Parley of Instruments (1978-1986), co-founder of the London Handel Orchestra (in 1981), Principal Conductor of the Hanover Band (1986-1994), Music Director for fifteen years of the European Union Baroque Orchestra (1989-2004), Principal Conductor of the Händel Festspiele at the Badisches Staatstheater in Karlsruhe (1990-1998), the first Principal Conductor of Umeå Symphony Orchestra & Northern Opera Sweden (1995-2001), Conductor with the Västerås Sinfonietta in Sweden (1995-2011), Music Director of the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra in Winnipeg (1999-2005) the first Principal Conductor of Holland Symfonia & Dutch National Ballet (2003-2006), Conductor of the Bachkoor Holland accompanied by the Royal Concertgebouw Kamerorkest (2003-2010) and Principal Guest Conductor of the Auckland Philharmonia in New Zealand (2007-2011).

Born in January 1951, Roy Goodman achieved international fame with King’s College Choir as the boy soloist in Allegri’s Miserere (Decca 1963). Already in 1970 he became a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists, and he completed his studies with a violin performer's ARCM and a music teacher's diploma. In 1979 Goodman was a founder member of Ton Koopman's Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, then he joined Trevor Pinnock's English Concert, and in 1987 became the first Concertmaster of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (under Sir Charles Mackerras, Sir Simon Rattle, Frans Brüggen & Ivan Fischer).

Also during the 1980's he directed for CD with the Hanover Band the first ever performances on historic instruments of the complete symphonies by Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann and Weber, as well as 14 symphonies by Mendelssohn and 60 symphonies by Haydn. He has directed over 120 CDs ranging from Monteverdi's sacred vocal music to Holst's Planets, in addition to conducting more than forty world premières of contemporary music. His CD recordings of the complete Schumann symphonies for BMG/RCA Red Seal (Abbey Road 1993) received unanimous and outstanding critical praise in the worldwide press.

Guest appearances in recent years have included Stuttgart and San Francisco Operas, and SWR Stuttgart, WDR Cologne, NDR Hannover, MDR Leipzig, Royal Concertgebouw, BBC Philharmonic, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and Hallé Orchestras. During 2011/12, in addition to his regular commitments in Sweden and New Zealand, Goodman also conducts the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and the major Symphony Orchestras in Melbourne, Perth and Stuttgart. He made his debut at the Sydney Opera House with three concerts in April 2010. Roy Goodman is an honorary Doctor of Music (University of Hull) and in 2005 was made an honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Music (London) presented by HRH The Prince of Wales. He has three children and four grandchildren, and he loves downhill skiing, squash and offshore sailing - in Summer 2010 he completed a 2,800 mile solo circumnavigation of the British Isles!

Shorter Official Biography (280 words - February 2012)

Roy Goodman, now 61, is Principal Guest Conductor of the English Chamber Orchestra. In 2011 Radio New Zealand affectionately named him the 'Rafa Nadal' of conductors.

He has worked as guest conductor with over 120 orchestras and opera companies worldwide. He is well known for his work as director and founder of the Brandenburg Consort, co-director/founder of The Parley of Instruments, Principal Conductor of the Hanover Band, Music Director of the European Union Baroque Orchestra, Principal Conductor of the Händel Festspiele at the Badisches Staatstheater in Karlsruhe, the first Principal Conductor of Umeå Symphony Orchestra & Northern Opera Sweden, Conductor of the Västerås Sinfonietta in Sweden, Music Director of the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra in Winnipeg, the first Principal Conductor of Holland Symfonia & Dutch National Ballet, Conductor of the Holland Bachkoor with Royal Concertgebouw Kamerorkest, and Principal Guest Conductor of the Auckland Philharmonia in New Zealand.

Born in January 1951, Roy Goodman achieved international fame with King’s College Choir as the boy soloist in Allegri’s Miserere (Decca 1963). Already in 1970 he became a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists, and he completed his studies with a violin performer's ARCM and a music teacher's diploma. In 1979 Goodman was a founder member of Ton Koopman's Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, then he joined Trevor Pinnock's English Concert, later becoming the first concertmaster of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.

He has directed over 120 CDs from Monteverdi to Holst, including the first ever performances on historic instruments of the complete symphonies by Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann and Weber, 60 symphonies by Haydn and 14 by Mendelssohn. He is an honorary Doctor of Music (University of Hull) and in 2005 was made an honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Music (London) presented by HRH The Prince of Wales. He has three children and four grandchildren, and he loves sailing - in Summer 2010 he completed a 2,800 mile solo circumnavigation of the British Isles!

 

Even Shorter Official Biography (200 words - February 2012)

Roy Goodman, now 61, is Principal Guest Conductor of the English Chamber Orchestra. He has worked as guest conductor with over 120 orchestras and opera companies worldwide. He is well known for his work as director and founder of the Brandenburg Consort, co-director/founder of The Parley of Instruments, Principal Conductor of the Hanover Band, Music Director of the European Union Baroque Orchestra, Principal Conductor of the Händel Festspiele at the Badisches Staatstheater in Karlsruhe, Principal Conductor of Umeå Symphony Orchestra & Northern Opera Sweden, Conductor of the Västerås Sinfonietta in Sweden, Music Director of the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra in Winnipeg, Principal Conductor of Holland Symfonia & Dutch National Ballet, Conductor of the Holland Bachkoor with Royal Concertgebouw Kamerorkest, and Principal Guest Conductor of the Auckland Philharmonia in New Zealand. He has directed over 120 CDs from Monteverdi to Holst, including the first ever performances on historic instruments of the complete symphonies by Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann and Weber, 60 symphonies by Haydn and 14 by Mendelssohn. He is an honorary Doctor of Music (University of Hull) and in 2005 was made an honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Music (London) presented by HRH The Prince of Wales. He has three children and four grandchildren, and he loves sailing!
[see www.roygoodman.com]

 

Short Official Biography (140 words - February 2012)

Roy Goodman, now 61, is Principal Guest Conductor of the English Chamber Orchestra. He has worked as guest conductor with over 120 orchestras and opera companies worldwide: from Carnegie Hall to the Royal Albert Hall, from Concertgebouw Amsterdam to the Berlin Philharmonie, and from San Francisco Opera to the Sydney Opera House [please visit: www.roygoodman.com].
During the 1980's he was Director of Music at the University of Kent in Canterbury and Director of Early Music Studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Goodman has directed over 120 CDs from Monteverdi to Holst's Planets, including the first ever performances on historic instruments of the complete symphonies by Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann and Weber, and many symphonies by Mendelssohn and Haydn. He has also conducted more than forty world premières of contemporary music.

 

ROY GOODMAN – extended information:

Roy Goodman, now 61, is Principal Guest Conductor of the English Chamber Orchestra. In 2011 Radio New Zealand affectionately named him the 'Rafa Nadal' of conductors. He is well known for his work as director and founder of the Brandenburg Consort (1975-2001), as co-director/founder (with Peter Holman) of The Parley of Instruments (1978-1986), co-founder (with Denys Darlow) of the London Handel Orchestra (in 1981), Principal Conductor of the Hanover Band (1986-1994), Music Director for fifteen years of the European Union Baroque Orchestra (1989-2004), the first Principal Conductor of Umeå Symphony Orchestra & Northern Opera Sweden (1995-2001), Conductor of the Västerås Sinfonietta in Sweden (1995-2011), Music Director of the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra in Winnipeg (1999-2005), the first Principal Conductor of Holland Symfonia & Dutch National Ballet (2003-2006), Conductor of the Bachkoor Holland accompanied by the Royal Concertgebouw Kamerorkest (2003-2010), and Principal Guest Conductor of the Auckland Philharmonia in New Zealand (2007-2011).

In 2006 Roy Goodman made his debut with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam. Concerts to 2010 include the Hallé in Manchester, RLPO in Liverpool, RSNO in Glasgow and Residentie Orchestra in the Hague, WDR Cologne, NDR Hannover and SWR Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestras, Recreation Graz, Kristiansand, Melbourne, Sydney and Tasmanian Symphony, Tampere and Bergen Philharmonics, Ulster Orchestra in Belfast, the English, Geneva, Manitoba, Uppsala and Swedish Chamber Orchestras, Western Australia Symphony Orchestra in Perth and Auckland Philharmonia in New Zealand.

In 1959 (at the age of eight) Goodman made his first recording for Decca as boy-treble with the choir of Kings College Cambridge under Sir David Willcocks, in Bach’s St. John Passion (with Peter Pears as Evangelist). A few years later he achieved international fame as the soloist in Allegri’s Miserere (now reissued, from 1963, on Decca Legends). His mother’s godfather was Sir Malcolm Sargent whom he observed conducting at the Proms in the mid 1960’s. When Goodman completed his studies at the Royal College of Music in London in 1970 he was already well qualified as a conductor, teacher, organist, violinist and musicologist. He is an honorary Doctor of Music (University of Hull 2002), Fellow of the Royal College of Organists (1970) and honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Music (London 2005). From 1971 he spent six years as Head of a comprehensive school music department and as Senior String Tutor for Berkshire, and later held positions as Director of Music at the University of Kent in Canterbury and as Director of Early Music Studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London. From 1975-1986 much of Goodman’s career was spent as a violinist - Goodman worked in Europe as a principal violinist, playing as concertmaster or soloist with Ashkenazy, Brüggen, Ivan Fischer, Gardiner, Herreweghe, Hickox, Hogwood, Rene Jacobs, King, Koopman, Mackerras, Marriner, McCreesh, Norrington, Pinnock, Rattle and Schreier. In 1979 Goodman was a founder member of Ton Koopman's Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, he joined Trevor Pinnock's English Concert, and became the first concertmaster of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. During the 1980's he directed for CD with the Hanover Band the first ever performances on historic instruments of the complete symphonies by Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann and Weber, as well as 14 symphonies by Mendelssohn and 60 symphonies by Haydn. In addition to conducting more than forty world premières of contemporary music - many from the 21st century - he has directed over 120 CDs (several receiving rosettes in the Penguin CD Guide and top listings for Corelli, Boyce, Handel & Haydn in Cassell's '1001 Classical Recordings You Must Hear Before You Die') ranging from Monteverdi's sacred vocal music to Holst's Planets (played on historical instruments), including further orchestral, vocal and choral works by Mozart, Mendelssohn, Berwald, Copland, Barber, Walton and Jeths, and major baroque works by Corelli, Purcell, Bach, Handel and Rameau. His CD recordings of the complete Schumann symphonies for BMG/RCA Red Seal (Abbey Road 1993) received unanimous and outstanding critical praise worldwide.

An invitation to conduct a televised Sibelius' birthday programme with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra in 1993 was the catalyst for Roy Goodman’s flourishing career as a serious international conductor. Recent CD releases include recordings of Mozart’s basset clarinet concerto with Nicholas Cox and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic for ‘RLPO Live’, a CD for Naxos of classical trumpet concertos including Haydn and Hummel (with Niklas Eklund and the Swedish Chamber Orchestra), and recordings of Walton, Grace Williams, Gareth Walters & Warlock with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra for CBC Records. Also further CDs for Naxos (orchestral suites by Rameau with the European Union Baroque Orchestra), CBC Records (Barber Knoxville, Summer of 1915, Copland Eight Songs of Emily Dickinson and songs by Gershwin with Measha Brüggergosman) and Northwest Classics (Willem Jeths' Cello Concerto Falsa/Ficta with Frances-Marie Uitti and the Arnhem Philharmonic)

Goodman has worked as guest conductor with over 120 orchestras and opera companies worldwide: from Carnegie Hall, New York to the Albert Hall Proms, London, and from the Alte Oper Franfurt to the Sydney Opera House. Opera work has included repertoire by Händel (Agrippina, Alcina, Amadigi, Ezio, Giulio Cesare, Orlando, Rodelinda, Scipione, Tamerlano), Mozart (Bastien et Bastienne, Don Giovanni, La Clemenza di Tito, Le nozze di Figaro) and Beethoven (Leonore) in Lisbon, at the Britten-Pears School in Snape, Fondation Royaumont in Paris and at Opera North in Leeds, Opera Northern Ireland in Belfast, Flanders Opera in Gent and Antwerp, Staatstheater Mainz and as an annual guest from 1990-1998 at the Badisches Staatstheater Händel Festspiele in Karlsruhe. In 1999 he made his debut at the English National Opera with Gluck’s Orpheus and at the Drottningholm Theatre Stockholm with the world première of a new Swedish opera Trädgården by Jonas Forssell. In 2001 he returned to Drottningholm for a new production of Handel's Giulio Cesare, and in 2002 conducted Alcina for Stuttgart, Budapest and San Francisco Opera. He returned to Stuttgart in 2004 (Figaro) and also to San Francisco in 2005 & 2006 (Rodelinda & Figaro). Goodman has also worked extensively in Ballet, mainly at the Muziektheater Amsterdam with the Dutch National Ballet: his numerous performances there include Stravinsky's Agon, Tchaikovsky's Theme and Variations and Pas de deux, Gershwin's Who Cares?, Ravel's Valses nobles et sentimentales and La Valse, Mendelssohn's Midsummer Night's Dream, Mozart's Don Giovanni (with new ballet music by Rob Zuidam), Dansen bij Koning Lodewijk (with music by Charpentier, Lully, Rameau, Rebel, Marais etc) and Balanchine Square Dance.

Some of Goodman’s more unusual engagements include making a documentary film about Mozart’s Prague Symphony for Dutch television with members of the Prague Chamber Orchestra; a 12 CD recording contract with BMG Classics/RCA Victor after a concert cycle of the complete symphonies of Beethoven in the Schleswig Holstein Festival and Missa Solemnis in the Alte Oper, Frankfurt; conducting the world-premiere of Philip Glass' Concerto for Saxophone Quartet with the Rascher Quartet and Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and a televised Sibelius 'birthday' programme with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra; an invitation by the Netherlands Wind Ensemble to conduct the Symphony for Winds by Richard Strauss and Schönberg Chamber Symphony 1 for Dutch Radio; a prestigious live televised New Year’s Day concert (1998) with the augmented Netherlands Wind Ensemble from the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam; conducting concerts including Schumann Symphony 4 at the Carnegie Hall in New York and Beethoven’s Symphony Eroica at the BBC Proms in the Royal Albert Hall, London; an invitation in 2003 to direct a Mozart Festival in the Concertgebouw Amsterdam; the creation of over forty world-première commissions of contemporary music from Sweden, Iceland, America, Canada & the Netherlands; being the first conductor to conduct the Huddersfield Choral Society (and BBC Philharmonic) in a complete uncut Messiah from memory; playing as soloist in Mozart's G major Violin Concerto at Chicago Symphony Hall; deputising as organist for George Thalben-Ball at The Temple Church in the late 1960's and then playing the organ at the Royal Festival Hall, London for several Christmas concerts; and playing light solo piano jazz on national radio from the Aix-en-Provence Festival, Concertgebouw Amsterdam and Freiburg Concert Hall. He made his debut with Sydney Symphony at the Sydney Opera House in 2010 and with the Orchestra of The Age of Enlightenment in 2011.
Roy Goodman has three children and four grandchildren, and he loves downhill skiing, squash and offshore sailing - in Summer 2010 he completed a 2,800 mile solo circumnavigation of the British Isles!

Page Updated: 2 February, 2012