Conductor James Lockhart passed away on Feb. 26, 2025 at the age of 94.

Lockhart was born on Oct. 16, 1930, in Edinburgh. He studied at the Royal College of Music and gave his UK premiere at All Souls Church, Langham Place.

He took the position of Music Director at Welsh National Opera in 1968, where he stayed until 1972. The same year, he was appointed as Music Director of Staatstheater Kassel and was the first British-born person to hold that position with a German opera house. There, he conducted “Aïda,” “The Ring Cycle,” “Death in Venice,” “The Queen of Spades,” “Ariadne auf Naxos,” “Kátya Kabanová,” “Wozzeck,” and more.

As a guest conductor, he led performances of “I Vespri Siciliani” and “Billy Budd” in Hamburg, in Munich “La Bohème” and “Die Entführung aus dem Serail,” and with the Scottish Opera, Lockhart conducted “Madama Butterfly.” He returned to the Royal College of Music in 1986, where he served as the Director of Opera until 1992.

His discography includes “Mozart Concert Arias” with Margaret Price and the London Philharmonic Orchestra “Johannes Brahms Lieder” by Margaret Price and James Lockhart,” “William Walton: The English Opera’s The Bear: An Extravaganza In One Act Group,” and “Sadler’s Wells Opera: Rigoletto Highlights,” among others.

Lockhart died from complications of dementia.