Conductor Laureate
Vernon Handley CBE
For forty years Vernon Handley's career has been unique amongst front rank conductors in that he has unashamedly championed British repertoire before that of all other countries. Recognised as Sir Adrian Boult's protégé, he has held steadfastly to two principles, which might have proved detrimental to a successful career: the undemonstrative technique and the unfashionable repertoire.
Vernon Handley has probably recorded, performed and broadcast more British music than any other conductor, living or dead. In some 160 discs, over 90 are British, including 87 works which have not been recorded before. He has given over 100 premières. In his recorded output are all the symphonies of Vaughan Williams, Stanford, Malcolm Arnold and Robert Simpson, all the major works of Elgar and the whole of Moeran's orchestral music.
He has been outright winner three times of the Gramophone Record of the Year, as well as runner up twice and nominated 8 times. At the Gramophone Awards of 2003 he was given a Special Achievement Award for services to British Music. He has won the BPI Classical award twice and his recording of Walton's First Symphony was declared "Collectors Choice" in Classic CD. He won a Grand Prix du Disque for a recording of French repertoire with the Philharmonia Orchestra.
In 1983 the London Philharmonic made Vernon Handley its Associate Conductor in recognition of his long relationship with the orchestra. He was Chief Guest Conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Chief Conductor of the Malmö Symphony Orchestra, Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Ulster Orchestra, Chief Guest Conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Chief Guest Conductor of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Chief Conductor of the West Australian Symphony Orchestra and Chief Guest Conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra.
During this time Vernon Handley was Professor of Conducting at the Royal College of Music and was created Hon RCM and FRCM. He was also regularly conducting the National Youth Orchestra and the World Youth Orchestra and is widely known for his encouragement of young professional players.
Vernon Handley was appointed Musical Director to the Borough of Guildford in 1962, staying for twenty-one years to establish a new professional orchestra, the Guildford Philharmonic. During his tenure, the Guildford Concerts Scheme was one of the most successful in the country, playing an extraordinarily wide repertoire and making several first-ever recordings of unfamiliar British works. In recognition of his great contribution to music in the South East, the University of Surrey awarded him a Doctorate.
Vernon Handley is currently Conductor Emeritus of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and Associate Conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. He was appointed Conductor Laureate of the Ulster Orchestra in 2003. He was created Honorary Fellow of the Royal Philharmonic Society in 1990 and was elected an Honorary Fellow of Balliol College, Oxford in 1999. He was appointed Commander of the British Empire in the Queen's Birthday Honours, June 2004.
He tours Europe, Australia and Japan regularly and averages a British work in every concert. He is currently making a pioneering set of discs for Hyperion of the music of Sir Granville Bantock. He has also recorded a complete cycle of symphonies by Sir Arnold Bax for Chandos Records, which won "The Listeners' Disc of the Year, 2003" on BBC Radio 3's CD Review.