Sir John

Sir John Barbirolli, CH (2 December 1899 – 29 July 1970), born Giovanni Battista Barbirolli, was an English conductor and cellist.

He is best known for his work as conductor of the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester, which he helped save from dissolution in 1943 and led until his death. Prior to this, he succeeded Arturo Toscanini as musical director of the New York Philharmonic from 1936 to 1943. He was also principal conductor of the Houston Symphony from 1961 to 1967 and was a guest conductor for many other orchestras, including the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonia, the Berlin Philharmonic, and the Vienna Philharmonic, with whom he made recordings.

Born in London to Italian and French parents, Barbirolli grew up in a family of professional musicians. After starting his career as a cellist, he had the opportunity to conduct the British National Opera Company from 1926, and then Covent Garden. Taking over the Hallé Orchestra made him less available for opera, but he nevertheless conducted successful productions of works by Verdi, Wagner, Gluck, and Puccini at Covent Garden in 1950, so much so that he was invited to become its permanent musical director, an invitation he declined. Towards the end of his career, he recorded several operas, the most famous of which is probably Puccini's Madame Butterfly for EMI in 1967.

Whether in concert or on record, Barbirolli is particularly associated with the music of English composers such as Elgar, Delius, and Vaughan Williams. His interpretations of other post-romantic composers like Mahler and Sibelius, or classical composers like Schubert, are still universally acclaimed.