The Hallé's Sir Mark Elder to give Inaugural Lecture as Honorary Professor

29 Sep 2016

Honorary Professor and Music Director of The Hallé Sir Mark Elder CBE, will give his inaugural lecture at the University’s Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama at 3pm on Thursday 29 September 2016.

Sir Mark’s inaugural lecture, entitled ‘Are Conductors Really Necessary?’ will explore the role of the conductor and more widely, the role of the modern musician.

Sir Mark has been Music Director of the Hallé since September 2000 and works as a guest with the world’s leading opera houses and symphony orchestras. He has a wide-ranging discography of award-winning recordings and is International Chair in Conducting at the Royal Northern College of Music.

He was knighted in 2008 and was awarded the CBE in 1989. He won an Olivier Award in 1991 for his outstanding work at the English National Opera, and in May 2006 he was named Conductor of the Year by the Royal Philharmonic Society. He was awarded Honorary Membership of the Royal Philharmonic Society in 2011.

"The joy about having the role of Honorary Professor is having the opportunity to meet and work with the students, the next generation of musicians," Sir Mark says.

Professor Camden Reeves, Head of Music, said "We are delighted to welcome Sir Mark as an Honorary Professor here at the University of Manchester. His work at The Hallé has made him a musical icon within the city of Manchester, and as such he will be a fantastic inspiration to our students and staff. We are looking forward to working with, and learning from, him in the years to come."

Event information

Thursday 29 September 2016 at 3pm
In the Cosmo Rodewald Concert Hall at the Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama
The lecture is free and everyone is welcome to attend.
Booking is not required. Anyone wishing to attend is advised to arrive early to avoid disappointment as tickets will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.