Sir Colin Davis

British conductor (born: 25 September 1927 in Weybridge, England, UK; died: 14 April 2013 in London, England, UK (aged 85). Sir Colin Rex Davis CH CBE was an English conductor and was particularly noted for his advocacy of the music of Hector Berlioz and of Sir Michael Tippett. In 1960, he was appointed chief conductor of Sadler's Wells Opera Company, a post he held until 1965. After he left Sadler's Wells, and being passed over as principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, he was named chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, effective September 1967, serving the orchestra until 1976. From 1971 to 1986, he was principal conductor of the Orchestra Of The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. In 1977, he became the first English conductor to appear at Bayreuth. From 1983 to 1993, he was chief conductor of the Symphonie-Orchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks. In 1995, he was appointed principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra; Davis was the longest-serving principal conductor in the history of the LSO, holding the post from 1995 until 2006, after which the orchestra appointed him its President. Amongst many awards and honours, he was made Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1965, knighted in 1980, and appointed to the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH) in 2001. He is the father of conductor Joseph Wolfe.