Priestman, Brian
Priestman, Brian
Priestman, Brian , English conductor and music educator; b. Birmingham, Feb. 10, 1927. He received his training at the Univ. of Birmingham (B.Mus., 1950; M. A., 1952) and the Brussels Cons. (diploma, 1952). After serving as founder-conductor of the Opera da Camera and the Orch. da Camera in Birmingham, he was music director of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre at Stratford-upon-Avon (1960–63). He conducted the Edmonton (Alberta) Sym. Orch. (1964–68) and the Baltimore Sym. Orch. (1968–69), and then was music director of the Denver Sym. Orch. (1970–78). He also was principal conductor of the New Zealand National Orch. in Wellington (1973–76) and music director of the Fla. Phil. (1977–80). From 1980 to 1986 he was principal conductor of the Cape Town Sym. Orch., prof. and chairman of the music dept. at the Univ. of Cape Town, and director of the South African Coll. of Music. He was principal guest conductor of the Malmö Sym. Orch. (1988–90). In 1992 he became artist-in-residence, prof., and director of orch. studies at the Univ. of Kans. at Lawrence.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire