Our Conductor - David Lardi

Born in Manchester, David studied at Trinity College of Music, and read a degree at King's College, both in London. He studied orchestral conducting with Bernard Keeffe, choral conducting with Charles Proctor and Laszlo Heltay, and operatic conducting with Marcus Dods. It was during this time that he was awarded the Ricordi Conducting Prize and the City Livery Prize.

During the next two years, he continued his studies at the Accademia Musicale Chigana, Siena, Italy under Maestro Franco Ferrara. Within weeks of his arrival he was invited to conduct concerts, and was awarded the Diploma di Merito before being asked by Maestro Ferrara to work with him in Rome. He has three times won a PRS Award for Enterprise with Finchley Chamber Choir.

He currently holds the conductorships of Finchley Chamber Choir (since 1978), Finchley Chamber Orchestra (since 1975) and North London Symphony Orchestra, and has worked with many different orchestras and choirs as well as with some of today's leading soloists. He has conducted over 300 concerts in England, Italy, Germany and the Czech Republic, ranging in scope from chamber ensembles at such venues as the Queen Elizabeth Hall, the Purcell Room and the Wigmore Hall to a choir of 1,000 and orchestra of 120 at the reopening concert of the Great Hall, Alexandra Palace.

He has performed a repertoire of over 1000 works ranging from early music with authentic instruments to commissions and first performances. For over twenty years, he was a Professor at Trinity College of Music and has given nearly 3,000 lecture/recitals. He has recorded for Italian and German radio as well as the BBC. Television appearances include both ITV and BBC, and also on Warner Video. He was last seen on BBC2 in the series Great Composers.

Please see also another of David's interests:

Finchley Chamber Orchestra