Ipswich Bach Choir,
President-Steuart Bedford
Steuart Bedford is recognized as one of today's leading experts on the works of Benjamin Britten. As a result of his former collaboration with the composer, Steuart Bedford has conducted Britten's operas throughout the world, including the world premiere of Death in Venice (1973) which was followed by the first recording of the work. During 1974 - 1998 Steuart Bedford was one of the Artistic Directors of the Aldeburgh Festival and eventually became Joint Artistic Director with Oliver Knussen.
Steuart Bedford has an extensive operatic repertoire and has worked with many
of the world's greatest opera companies including English National Opera, the
Royal Opera Covent Garden, Metropolitan Opera, Opera North, Scottish Opera,
Opera de Paris, Brussels Opera, Monte Carlo Opera, Lausanne Opera, San Diego
Opera, Santa Fe Opera Festival, Canadian Opera Company, Vancouver Opera, and
the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires. Notable successes include Lowell Liebermann's
Pictures of Dorian Grey at Milwaukee Florentine Opera, Minoru Miki's
Return of Genji with the Opera Theatre of St Louis (which successfully
toured to Japan), Verdi's La Traviata with the New York City Opera, and
Samuel Barber's Vanessa with Oper du Rhin.
Mr Bedford is a highly regarded for his interpretations of the works of Mozart
and his conducting of Idomeneo , Lucio Silla, The Magic Flute , Don Giovanni
and La Finta Giardiniera for Garsington Opera in past seasons has been
widely acclaimed. In July 2004, Steuart Bedford conducted Cosi Fan Tutte
with Garsington Opera at the Barbican in London as part of the prestigious Mostly
Mozart Festival. He has recently conducted Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro
and Don Giovanni with New York City Opera, Don Giovanni with Arizona
Opera, Idomeneo with Teatro Colon, and Peter Grimes with Royal
Danish Opera. Future plans include performances of Death in Venice with
Teatro Colon, The Magic Flute with the Bolshoi Theatre, Britten's Paul
Bunyan with Central City Opera, Denver and Britten's Gloriana
with both the St. Louis Opera and Boston Lyric Opera.
Although opera commitments take up much of his time, Steuart Bedford conducts concert engagements, both in the UK and abroad, and has toured Australia, New Zealand, South America and Scandinavia. He has worked with English Chamber Orchestra (with whom he has toured all over the world), the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the Philharmonia, Royal Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Northern Sinfonia, City of London Sinfonia, Teatro Colon, Gurzenich Orchestra, Orchestre National de Bordeaux Aquitaine, Orchestre Philharmonique de Montpellier, Dortmund Philharmonic and the BBC Orchestras.
Mr. Bedford made many recordings with Collins Classics, and was the Artistic
Director of the highly acclaimed series of recordings, 'The Britten Edition'.
Recordings include The Turn of the Screw, Albert Herring and a disc of
Orchestral Songs, which won many recording awards. In particular, Mr Bedford's
Albert Herring disc, now re-released with Naxos, continues to receive outstanding
critical acclaim. Steuart Bedford has also recorded for EMI,
Decca, Philips,
ASV
and Chandos.
2004/05 season only. Please contact Harrison Parrott if you wish to edit this biography.
Photo credit: Hanya Chlala
/ Arena Images
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