Sir Charles Mackerras 1925 - 2010

We learned this morning with great sadness of the death last night of Sir Charles Mackerras, the SCO’s Conductor Laureate. Sir Charles was one of the most distinguished conductors of his generation and it has been an enormous privilege for all of us at the SCO to have had such a special relationship with him over the last twenty years or so.

He had an almost unparalleled mastery of music across a huge range of styles and periods from Handel through Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Dvořák and Janáček and beyond. His work with the SCO was always special and there is a rich legacy of performances to remember and outstanding recordings to cherish well into the future.

Apart from being a great musician, Charles was a man of great warmth, wit and personal generosity. For him, the music always came first which gave him a humility in the way he approached his craft and an integrity in all the work he undertook.

His versatility made him stand out from his colleagues at the top of the conducting profession and there remains no one quite like him.

Everyone at the SCO will miss him greatly but we will also have many fond memories, and consider ourselves especially honoured to have known and worked with him. 

Our thoughts are very much with Sir Charles’ family and his many friends at this sad time.

***Following the death of Sir Charles Mackerras, Douglas Boyd will now conduct the SCO Wind Ensemble’s concert at the BBC Proms on Thursday 29 July.***

Read the personal appreciation by SCO violinist Rosenna East here.