Richard Divall, Australian conductor and musicologist, Died at 71

  Music

Richard Sydney Divall was born on September 9, 1945, in Sydney and died on January 15, 2017.

He was an Australian conductor and musicologist.

Following nine years as a music producer at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, from 1972 on the invitation of Dame Joan Hammond he became the music director of the Victoria State Opera in Melbourne, where he remained for twenty-five years.

After a further five years were spent as Principal Resident Conductor of Opera Australia.

Divall’s teachers included Joseph Post, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Sir Charles Mackerras, Sir Reginald Goodall and Wolfgang Wagner.

Richard conducted many concerts, ballets, and 151 operas, particularly works of the late baroque, Mozart, Handel, Gounod, Berlioz and Verdi.

They also included the complete operas of Claudio Monteverdi, Berlioz’s Les Troyens and Richard Strauss’ Elektra.

Richard Divall passed away at 71 years old.