On June 8, 2022, English conductor David Lloyd-Jones passed away at the age of 87.

Born on November 19, 1934, Lloyd-Jones’ family moved from their native London to a farm in West Wales shortly before World War II. After being introduced to Mozart in school, he soon developed a loved for classical music after his father brought him to a concert at the Royal Albert Hall.

He began his career with the Royal Opera House in 1959, and made his professional debut two years later, conducting the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.

He conducted the New Opera Company from 1961-64 in addition to freelance engagement for orchestral and choral concerts. In 1972, he was named the Assistant Music Director for Sadlers Wells Opera, today known as English National Opera. A leading proponent and interpreter of Russian works in the U.K., Lloyd-Jones conducted the first British staging of Prokofiev’s “War and Peace.” In 1978, he founded the English National Opera North company, now known simply as Opera North, where he would conduct over 50 productions over the next twelve years before stepping down in 1990.

Among the companies he worked with are Welsh National Opera, Scottish Opera, and the Wexford, Cheltenham, Edinburgh, and Leeds Festivals. For his achievements, he was given an honorary doctorate in music at the University of Leeds in 1986, and in 2007 was given honorary membership of the Royal Philharmonic Society.