Trivia

Chief opera director/producer for the BBC 1965-1980.

Opera director, producer and Head of Media for The Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center in New York since 1980.

May 16, 1971 - Directed the BBC production of "Owen Wingrave" Op.85. An opera by Benjamin Britten (57) to words of Piper after James, conducted by the composer.

June 5, 1977 - Directed "The Queen's Silver Jubilee: The Gala Concert" given by Youth & Music at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. The following artists took part: Chime Bars-Graham Johnson, Melvyn Tan, Cuckoos-Marius May, Pierre Fournier, Quails-Dorothy Tutin, Richard Baker, Nightingale-Joseph Cooper, Crow-Stuart Harling, Duck-Humphrey Burton, Song Whistle-James Blades, Police Whistle-Fenella Fielding, Jingle Bells-Ann Murray, Malcolm Williamson, Triangle-John Dennison, Wood Blocks-Nigel Kennedy, Castanets-Linda Esther Gray, Richard Rodney Bennett, Maracas-Dame Peggy Ashcroft, David Rendall, David Syrus, Tambourine-Jack Brymer, Cymbals-Steve Race, Drum-Yehudi Menuhin, Piano-Yitkin Seow, The Chillingrian String Quartet and conducted by Colin Davis.

1966 - Directed the BBC production of "The Firebird", conducted by the composer Igor Stravinsky.

1980 Directed "Der Ring des Nibelungen". Invited to Beyreuth by the composer's grandson Wolfgang to document the complete "Ring Cycle" in collaboration with Patrice Chéreau, Stage Director and Pierre Boulez, Conductor.

1985 Appointed Chevalier dans L'Ordre des Arts et Lettres, in recognition of an outstanding contribution to the arts.

1990 Directed "The Three Tenors Concert", Carreras, Domingo and Pavarotti conducted by Zubin Mehta. Filmed at the historic Terme di Caraculla in Rome and broadcast to a global television audience of 800 million viewers.

1992 Directed the Emmy Award winning production of "Tosca" in the precise settings and times of the libretto. The star cast led by Catherine Malfitano, Placid Domingo and Ruggero Raimondi was conducted by Zubin Mehta supported by the Orchestras of Florence and Rome. Broadcast live to 107 countries using 5 satellites and 27 cameras in the locations of Act 1: Basilica Sant' Andrea della Valle", Act 2: "Palazzo Farnese" (now Embassy of France) and Act 3: "Castel Sant' Angelo".

2005 Directed the world television premiere of Lorin Maazel's opera "1984", conducted by the composer at the Royal Opera House, London.

1990 Directed the video-recorded performance of Wagner's "Ring Cycle" from the Met, conducted by James Levine, and broadcast on PBS. The most widely-viewed performance of the "Ring Cycle" in human history.