Richard Bonynge

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Richard Bonynge, CBE, (born September 29, 1930) is an Australian conductor.

He was born in Sydney and educated at Sydney Boys High School before studying piano at the Royal College of Music in London. He gave up his music scholarship, continuing his private piano studies, and became a coach for singers. One of these was Joan Sutherland, whom he had accompanied in Australia. They soon married and became a duo, first doing recitals, until 1962, when the conductor for a recital of operatic arias became ill, and Bonynge stepped in. From that time on, he conducted virtually all of his wife's performances. He also conducted the English Chamber Orchestra in many recordings.[1] Bonynge was made Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his services to music in 1977.

His last name is pronounced "bonning".

[edit] External links

• Richard Bonynge: Maestro of bel canto
• Dame Joan Sutherland and Richard Bonynge performing at Opera in the park
• Joan Sutherland and Luciano Pavarotti on with Richard Bonynge in concert at the Sydney Opera House, 1983