Hickox, Richard

▪ 2009

      British conductor

born March 5, 1948, Stokenchurch, Buckinghamshire, Eng.

died Nov. 23, 2008, Cardiff, Wales

was noted for his promotion of English composers, his success as a choral conductor, and his prodigious output of more than 300 classical recordings. Hickox studied organ and composing at the Royal Academy of Music (1966–67) and organ at Queen's College, Cambridge (1967–70). In 1971, soon after making his conducting debut, he founded the Richard Hickox Orchestra and Richard Hickox Singers (later renamed the City of London Sinfonia and City of London Singers). Other appointments included music director (1976–91) and conductor emeritus (from 1991) of the London Symphony Chorus, principal guest conductor of the Dutch Radio Orchestra (1980–84), associate conductor of the San Diego Symphony Orchestra (1983–84), associate guest conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra (from 1985), and principal conductor (2000–06) and conductor emeritus (from 2006) of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. He became music director of Opera Australia in 2005. Hickox was made CBE in 2002.

* * *