The Royal Northern Sinfonia has announced that Roger Norrington, 87, has decided to end his career and conduct his final concert on 18 November, dedicating the evening to a recreation of Haydn’s London Academy. The concert will take place at the Sage Gateshead, home to the Northern Sinfonia.
Norrington said: “I have enjoyed every minute of over 50 years of making music with some of the most wonderful and talented musicians in the world. The time has come to step off the podium and I am thrilled to spend my last concert as conductor celebrating Haydn with Royal Northern Sinfonia.”
From 1969 to 1984, Norrington was music director of Kent Opera. In 1978, he founded the London Classical Players and remained their musical director until 1997. From 1985 to 1989, he was principal conductor of the Bournemouth Sinfonietta. From 1990 to 1994, he was music director of the Orchestra of St. Luke’s. He was principal conductor of the Camerata Salzburg from 1997 to 2006, and principal conductor of the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra from 1998 to 2011.He was principal conductor of the Zurich Chamber Orchestra from 2011 to 2016.