Bach richard egarr biography
Richard Egarr
British conductor
Richard Egarr (born 7 August ) is a British conductor and keyboard player.
Biography
Born in Lincoln, Egarr received his early musical training as a choirboy at York Minster and at Chetham's School of Music. He was an organscholar of Clare College, Cambridge and studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Study with Gustav Leonhardt further inspired his work in the field of historically informed performance.
Egarr is widely known as a specialist in the baroque repertoire,[1] but has performed repertoire over a wide historical era, from fifteenth-century organ intabulations to Dussek and Chopin on early pianos, to Berg and Maxwell Davies on modern piano. He has recorded commercially several albums of solo keyboard music for such labels as Harmonia Mundi,[2][3] as well as chamber repertoire for such labels as Hyperion.[4]
In , Egarr became music director of the Academy of Ancient Music (AAM). With the AAM, Egarr has made commercial recordings for such labels as Harmonia Mundi,[5] and the AAM's own label.[6] He concluded his tenure as AAM music director at the close of the season.[7]
Egarr made his Glyndebourne debut in with a staged version of Bach's St Matthew Passion.[8]
In , Egarr first guest-conducted the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra (PBO). Following two additional guest appearances with the PBO, the PBO announced, in January , the appointment of Egarr as its next music director, with an initial contract of 5 years. The original intention was for Egarr to serve as PBO music director-designate for the season, and then to take the title of music director with the season.[9] In the wake of the COVID pandemic, the PBO reconfigured its season into a virtual season, and announced the advent of Egarr as its music director effective 1 July , one season earlier than originally planned.[10] In June , the PBO announced that Egarr is to conclude his tenure as its music director at the close of the season.[11]
Egarr and his family reside in Amsterdam.[12] In Amsterdam, Egarr has served as director of the Academy of the Begijnhof. Since , he is Principal Guest Conductor of the Residentie Orchestra in The Hague.