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George Lloyd  (1913 - 1998)   Fact sheet 

 

1913 •Born St Ives, Cornwall, 28 June
1918 •Began violin studies and later studied with Albert Sammons,
1923 •Started composing aged 10
1931 •Began studies at Trinity College, London, with Dr Lovelock,(orchestration) C.H.Kitson,(counterpoint) and Harry Farjeon, (composition.) 
1933 •Conducted world première of First Symphony with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
1934 •First opera Iernin with libretto by his father (William) performed in Penzance
•Conducted world première of Second Symphony with the Eastbourne Symphony Orchestra
•Formed New English Opera Company
1935 •Iernin transferred to the Lyceum Theatre, London
•Conducted world première of Third Symphony with the BBC Symphony Orchestra
1937 •Married Nancy Juvet
1938 •Opera The Serf premièred at the Royal Opera House, staged by Vladimir Rosing, a champion of opera in English, and conducted by Albert Coates
1940 •Started service with the Royal Marines on HMS Trinidad
1941 •Royal Marines Band premièred HMS Trinidad March at sea.
1942 •During active service in the Arctic, HMS Trinidad was hit, Lloyd was severely shell shocked and discharged from the Royal Marines to spend a year in hospital.
1945 •Moved to Switzerland where he wrote the orchestral version of HMS Trinidad March and Symphonies Four and Five
1949 •Returned to UK and settled in Dorset.
•Together with Britten and Vaughan Williams, was commissioned by the Arts Council to write an opera for the Festival of Britain
1951 •Opera John Socman premièred at the Festival of Britain in Bristol, 
Edward Downes was repetiteur
•Lloyd’s health failed
1951-1973 •Composed four symphonies and four piano concertos while running a market gardening business with his wife
1964 •John Ogdon and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra gave world première of First Piano Concerto under Charles Groves in Liverpool
1972 •Moved to London
1977 •BBC Northern Symphony Orchestra premièred Eighth Symphony 
  under Edward Downes in Manchester
1979 •Composed Violin Concerto
•Philharmonia premièred Fifth Symphony under Edward Downes at BBC London
•BBC Northern Symphony Orchestra made a studio recording of Seventh Symphony under Edward Downes in Manchester
1980 •BBC Northern Symphony Orchestra premièred Sixth Symphony under Edward Downes at Manchester
1981 •Philharmonia premièred Fourth Symphony under Edward Downes at the Cheltenham Festival
1982 •BBC Philharmonic Orchestra premièred Ninth Symphony under Edward Downes in Manchester
•Northern Brass Ensemble premièred Tenth Symphony under Edward Downes in Manchester
1983 •Martin Roscoe and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra premièred Second Piano Concerto under Edward Downes in Manchester
1984 •Conducted the world première of Fourth Piano Concerto with Kathryn Stott and the London Symphony Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall
1985 •Composed Royal Parks for the European Brass Band Competition in Copenhagen
1986 •Albany Symphony Orchestra, New York commissioned Eleventh and Twelfth Symphonies
•Conducted the world première of Eleventh Symphony with the Albany Symphony Orchestra in New York
•Conducted the world première of Second Violin Concerto with Manoug Parikian and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra in Manchester
1986 •Composed Diversions on a Bass Theme for the National Mineworkers  Brass Band Competition in Blackpool 
1988 •Conducted the première of Third Piano Concerto with Kathryn Stott 
 and the BBC Philharmonic in Manchester
•Black Dyke Mills Brass Band, and Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band premièred English Heritage under Geoffrey Brand at Kenwood
•Incorporated Lloyd Music Ltd, (publishing, record production and distribution)
•World premiere concert performance of Symphony No. 7 given by the Chicago Symphony  Orchestra under Neeme Järvi
1989 •Conducted the première of Vigil of Venus with the Welsh National Opera Chorus and Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall
1989-1991 •Appointed Music Advisor and Principal Guest Conductor of the Albany Symphony Orchestra, New York.
1990 •Conducted première of Twelfth Symphony with Albany Symphony Orchestra, New York. 
•Vigil of Venus released by Decca
1991 •Black Dyke Mills Brass Band premièred Evening Song under David King at Dewsbury
•Conducted Tenth Symphony with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra
1993 •Conducted the world première of A Symphonic Mass with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and the Brighton Festival Chorus at the Brighton Festival. Released on CD by Albany Records
•Returned to the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra to conduct a selection of his orchestral works
1994 •Operas 'Iernin' and 'John Socman' released on CD by Albany Records
•Conducted the UK première of Eleventh Symphony
 with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican
•Composed King’s Messenger for the Swiss National Brass Band Competition in Montreux
1995 •Guest appearance on Desert Island Discs
1996 •Conducted the première of A Litany with the Guildford Choral Society, Janice Watson, David Wilson Johnson and the Philharmonia Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall, London
1998 •Completed composition of Requiem, in memory of Princess Diana
1998 •Died 3rd July 1998
2000 •Alexander Baillie and the Orquestra Nacional do Porto premièred Cello Concerto under Peter Marchbank in Porto, Portugal
•Steven Watson and the Exon Singers premièred Requiem and Psalm 130 under Matthew Owens in Oxford
2006 •Selected as BBC Radio 3’s ‘Composer of the Week’
2013 •Centenary year highlights included 'A Symphonic Mass' with The National Orchestra of Wales conducted by Martyn Brabbins in Truro, HMS Trinidad (for Orchestra) at The Last Night of The Proms, Royal Albert Hall, Requiem with BBC Singers at the Royal Albert Hall, and a second selection as BBC Radio 3 Composer of the Week.