In Memoriam Sir Roger Norrington (1934–2025)

The Royal Conservatoire of Brussels commemorates Sir Roger Norrington, the British conductor who was internationally recognized as one of the foremost advocates of historically informed performance. In October 2018, he worked with the KCB Symphony Orchestra on a remarkable project devoted to Gustav Mahler and Michael Tippett. The collaboration resulted in concerts in Brussels and Northern Italy and left a profound impression on both students and audiences.

The Italian concert tour was part of the Viaggio in Italia program, organized by Guido Bizzi, director of the Accademia Europea Villa Bossi. The orchestra performed in Stresa and Varese under the direction of Sir Roger Norrington, and in Arona under the direction of Bart Bouckaert, professor of orchestral conducting at KCB.

Norrington set one clear condition for the program: “Of course, I don’t want any vibrato in either piece. For Mahler, that’s historical. For Tippett, it’s an aesthetic choice.” This radical vision of timbre and authenticity defined his career, in which he consistently sought clarity and directness in music. For the young musicians of KCB, it was a unique challenge, but above all an invaluable learning experience.

Born in Oxford on 16 March 1934, Sir Roger Norrington began his musical career as a violinist and singer. In the 1960s, he founded the Schütz Choir, followed later by the London Classical Players, with whom he achieved international recognition. His groundbreaking recording of the Beethoven symphonies on period instruments for EMI in the 1980s sparked a true revolution in the music world. Norrington worked with numerous leading orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra and the SWR Symphonieorchester Stuttgart, and remained active well into old age.

During his work with KCB in 2018, he conducted Mahler’s Fourth Symphony and Tippett’s Concerto for Double String Orchestra with boundless energy and conviction. Students recall not only the intensity of the rehearsals but also the warmth and humor with which he shared his vision. One of the highlights of the project was a spontaneous word of thanks from a student during a dinner in Italy, to which Norrington responded by stressing how important it was for him to project music of the past into the present in a way that remains meaningful for the future.

Sir Roger Norrington passed away on 18 July 2025 at the age of 91. His influence on performance practice and his inspiring collaboration with the Royal Conservatory of Brussels will remain gratefully remembered.