Roger Norrington studied English Literature at Clare College, Cambridge, where he was a member of the Choir. After several years’ experience as a violinist, tenor and conductor, he returned to his studies at the Royal College of Music under Sir Adrian Boult.
In 1962, he founded the Schütz Choir and thus began a 30 year exploration of historical performance practice. A collaboration was soon established with the London Baroque Players, but as the period of rediscovery moved forward, the London Classical Players became the normal partner. The London Classical Players leapt to world-wide renown with Roger Norrington’s dramatic performances of Beethoven symphonies on period instruments. Many other ground-breaking recordings followed by such composers as Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven as well as Berlioz, Weber, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Rossini, and Schumann.
Norrington’s opera experience is as wide as that with symphony orchestras, choirs and chamber orchestras. For 15 years, he was Music Director of the very successful Kent Opera, where he conducted over 400 performances of 40 different works. He has worked as a guest in Britain at Covent Garden and the English National Opera and in Italy at La Scala, La Fenice and the Maggio Musicale. He has also received invitations to conduct operas in Vienna, Berlin, Paris and Amsterdam.
Roger Norrington was knighted in June 1997 and is a Commander of the Order of the British Empire, a Cavaliere of the Italian Republic, Prince Consort of the Royal College of Music and Professor and Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Music, an Honorary Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge, a Doctor of Music at the University of Kent and a Doctor of the University of York.