Wednesday 16 February 2022

I've just kept going: David Greed, the leader of Opera North's orchestra since its inception in 1978 is finally stepping down

Leader of the Orchestra of Opera North David Greed performing in Huddersfield Town Hall (Photo Justin Slee)
Leader of the Orchestra of Opera North David Greed performing in Huddersfield Town Hall (Photo Justin Slee)

After Opera North's performances of Wagner's Parsifal this Summer, the leader of the orchestra, David Greed, will be retiring. An event made particularly notable by the fact that Greed has performed in that role since the orchestra's inception in 1978, making him the longest-serving orchestral leader in Europe.

Referring to his long service, Greed said "I've just kept going" and referred to his 44 years in post as "a massive accidental record of some sort". As well as leading the orchestra in its regular programme, he will be taking part in two special events. As part of the orchestra's Kirklees Concert Season, Greed will be the soloist in Shostakovich's First Violin Concerto, conducted by Anthony Hermus, in a programme on 27 February 2022 that also includes music by Galina Ustvolskaya (one of Shostakovich's pupils) and Bartók. Further details from the Opera North website.

Then on 16 March 2022 at Dewsbury Town Hall, Greed will be joined by joined by friends and colleagues for music and reminiscence in a lunchtime farewell concert. Commenting about the location of the concert, Greed explained, "My history with Dewsbury is almost as long as my time at Opera North. It’s another thing that I’m really going to miss. In the mid-80s a Dewsbury concert series was set up by the Kirklees Music Officer, the late Aidan Plender, and for the first few years almost every concert was me and group called Capricci. We started in a modest room that held 50 or 60, but eventually the crowds built so we had to move into the main hall, which was a major triumph." Details from the Opera North website.

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