Role

:

Conductor  

Country

:

United Kingdom

Birth

:

June 27, 1960 in Wombourne, England

Period

:

Contemporary

Genre

:

Choral

 

 

Vocal

 

Robert King is a renowned conductor and countertenor in the world of classical music. He was born on December 9, 1960, in Wrexham, North Wales. King grew up in a musical family, and his parents were both amateur musicians. His father played the piano, and his mother sang in a local choir. King's interest in music was sparked at a young age, and he began singing in his local church choir when he was just six years old. King attended the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, where he studied singing and conducting. He graduated with a degree in music in 1982 and went on to study at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Switzerland. There, he studied early music and became interested in the performance of Baroque music on period instruments. In 1984, King founded the King's Consort, an ensemble dedicated to the performance of Baroque music. The group quickly gained a reputation for their innovative and historically informed performances. King's Consort has since become one of the most respected early music ensembles in the world, and they have performed in major concert halls and festivals across Europe, North America, and Asia. King has also established himself as a soloist and conductor, and he has worked with some of the world's leading orchestras and opera companies. He has conducted the English National Opera, the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, among others. As a soloist, King has performed with the Academy of Ancient Music, the English Concert, and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. One of King's most notable achievements was his recording of Handel's Messiah with the King's Consort. The recording, which was released in 1989, was a critical and commercial success and helped to establish King's reputation as a leading interpreter of Baroque music. He has since recorded over 100 albums with the King's Consort and other ensembles, including works by Bach, Vivaldi, and Purcell. King has received numerous awards and honors throughout his career. In 1997, he was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to music. He has also been awarded the Gramophone Award, the Diapason d'Or, and the Edison Award, among others. In 2011, he was awarded the Handel Prize by the City of Halle in Germany, in recognition of his contributions to the performance of Handel's music. In addition to his work as a performer and conductor, King is also a respected musicologist and scholar. He has written several books on Baroque music, including The Courtly Consort Suite in German-Speaking Europe, 1650-1706 and Music, Spirit and the Keys to Prophecy: The Unwritten Scrolls of the Prophet Isaiah. He has also edited and annotated numerous editions of Baroque music, including Handel's Messiah and Bach's St. Matthew Passion. King's contributions to the world of classical music have been significant, and his innovative and historically informed performances have helped to shape the way that Baroque music is performed and understood today. He continues to perform and record with the King's Consort and other ensembles, and his work as a conductor, soloist, and scholar continues to inspire and educate musicians and music lovers around the world.

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