Sir colin davis wife

English conductor

For other people named Colin Davis, see Colin Davis (disambiguation).

Sir Colin Rex DavisCH CBE (25 September 1927 – 14 April 2013) was an English conductor, known for his association with the London Symphony Orchestra, having first conducted it in 1959.

His repertoire was broad, but among the composers with whom he was particularly associated were Mozart, Berlioz, Elgar, Sibelius, Stravinsky and Tippett.

Davis studied as a clarinetist, but was intent on becoming a conductor.

His wife, Shamsi, died last June, when Davis was conducting Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro at Covent Garden.

After struggling as a freelance conductor from 1949 to 1957, he gained a series of appointments with orchestras including the BBC Scottish Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. He also held the musical directorships of Sadler's Wells Opera and the Royal Opera House, where he was principal conductor for over fifteen years.

His guest conductorships included the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic and the Staat