Richard Hickox

Among the most energetic and productive British conductors to emerge in the decades following World War II was Richard Hickox. From the 1970s onward, his extensive discography encompassed interpretations of nearly all the principal Romantic composers from Europe alongside key figures in British music such as Elgar, Britten, Bridge, Moeran, and Finzi.

Richard Sidney Hickox pursued his studies at the Royal Academy of Music before securing an organ scholarship at Queens College, Cambridge. His professional debut as a conductor took place in 1971, followed two years later by his initial appearance at the London Promenade Concerts. Over the ensuing years, he has led performances with the BBC Symphony Orchestra along with the broadcaster's Welsh and Scottish ensembles, the Northern Sinfonia, and the Halle Orchestra, while maintaining regular associations with the Royal Philharmonic, the Bournemouth Symphony, and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic.

Since 1976, Hickox has served as music director of the London Symphony Chorus, and the London Symphony Orchestra established an associate conductor position specifically for him in 1985. Additionally, he has held the roles of conductor and music director for the Northern Sinfonia beginning in 1982 and for the City of London Sinfonia from 1971 onward. In the United States, his appearances have featured guest conducting with the Washington National Symphony as well as the Houston and Detroit symphonies.

Critics have commended Hickox's recordings for their refinement and accuracy. Although his catalog spans Renaissance music through Romantic works and includes accompaniments for concertos by composers like Strauss, Dvorak, and Elgar, his strongest affinities emerged in expansive English compositions by figures such as Elgar, Vaughan Williams, and Holst. Releases of these pieces on the EMI and Chandos labels earned favorable responses from both reviewers and audiences. In partnership with Bryden Thompson and Vernon Handley, Hickox contributed significantly to reintroducing large-scale pieces including Elgar's The Kingdom and Caractacus to contemporary listeners through fresh performances.