Lionel Friend

Lionel Friend is a distinguished opera conductor and coach with a rich career spanning multiple continents. Educated at the Royal College of Music in London, where he won all major conducting prizes, he further honed his skills with private study under renowned conductors such as Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt and Sir Colin Davis. Friend began his career conducting for Welsh National Opera and Glyndebourne Festival Opera, specializing in Mozart. He served as Kapellmeister at the Staatstheater in Kassel, Germany, for three years before returning to the UK to become Staff Conductor at English National Opera, a position he held for thirteen years.

Friend has also had a notable career in concert music, conducting and recording with principal European symphony orchestras, the BBC orchestras, and others, including collaborations with the Nash Ensemble and the City of Birmingham Symphony. Despite his extensive work in classical music, the list of recent releases provided does not align with his known repertoire or style, suggesting these may not be directly associated with him. Throughout his career, Friend has demonstrated versatility and a deep commitment to both opera and orchestral music.

Genres

Chamber Music

Classical

Contemporary Classical

Opera

Baroque

Orchestral Music

Romantic Music

Symphonic Music

Musical Theatre

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Michael Tippett

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Peter Dickinson

Peter Maxwell Davies

Edmund Rubbra

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Mark-Anthony Turnage

Latest Release

Lipkin: Symphonies Nos. 1-3

BBC Philharmonic Orchestra•

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra•

Lionel Friend•

Adrian Leaper

Ep - 5 Tracks - Released March 4, 2016