Neville Marriner

Born on 15 April 1924 in Lincoln, Sir Neville Marriner studied at the Royal College of Music and the Paris Conservatoire. He began his musical career as a violinist, initially in a string quartet and trio, and later in the London Symphony Orchestra. It was during this period that he founded the Academy, a group of top-class musicians. Originally formed as a group of friends, the ensemble gave its first concert in 1959 at the church of the same name. Today, the orchestra has recorded more works than any other chamber ensemble in the world, and its repertoire ranges from the early Baroque to the music of the 20th century.

A three-time recipient of the Royal Medal for his work in his homeland, Sir Neville Marriner has also received honorary degrees in France, Germany and Sweden.

As a violinist, Sir Neville Mariner had the opportunity to observe and work with the greatest conductors of his time – Toscanini, Furtwängler, Stokowski, Monteux and many others. He began his conducting career in 1969 with Maestro Monteux. There he founded the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, while at the same time developing the activities and expanding the repertoire of the Academy. In 1979 he became chief conductor of both the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra and the Stuttgart Radio Orchestra, posts he retained until the end of the 1980s.

His global career continued with the greatest orchestras in Vienna, Berlin, Paris, Milan, Athens, New York, Boston, San Francisco and Tokyo. In 2011, Sir Neville Mariner handed over the baton of the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields to Sir Joshua Bell, but was named conductor for life and emeritus of the Academy. He continued his active conducting career until the end of his life.

Sir Neville Marriner died in his sleep on the night of October 2, 2016.