Chris de Souza
Chris de Souza | |
|---|---|
| Born | Christopher Edward de Souza June 6, 1943 |
| Nationality | English |
| Occupation(s) | Composer, Opera producer, presenter, director, teacher |
| Years active | 1966-present |
Christopher Edward de Souza (born 6 June 1943)[1] is an English composer, teacher, music director, broadcaster, opera producer and author. He has presented programmes on BBC Radio 3, Radio 4 and World Service.[2]
Career
Chris de Souza has worked in the media as a Theatre director, Radio Music producer and presenter. Head of Music at St Bernadette's Catholic Secondary School in Bristol from 1966 to 1970, he went on to become a Producer with Sadlers Wells/English National Opera in 1971.[3] From then on he produced over 100 operas around the world,[1] among which the soundtrack for the fireworks display in the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II.[4]
Since 1966 he wrote and performed several compositions like 8 Epithalamia for Organ, Maharajahs, The Ides of March, Children of the Light. In 1977 he devised the Liszt Festival of London editing and directing the first modern performance of Franz Liszt's opera Don Sanche.[4] As a composer his music has been widely broadcast and performed, with recent commissions from the BBC, Southern Sinfonia, West Berkshire Maestros and the Lymington Choral Society.[3]
In 1975 he joined the BBC Radio London becoming the BBC first Proms Producer in 1987. He presented Radio London's Look Stop Listen and Discovering Music on BBC Radio 3. As a presenter his own programme Tuning Up, focusing on young musicians, won a Silver Medal at the New York Radio Festival in 1992. He has also presented on TV, BBC World Service, and broadcasts classical channels for many airlines.[4]
De Souza is an author of classical music guides like Looking at music, Listening to Music, The Kingfisher Young People's Book of Music, and wrote articles to The Listener, Music and Musicians, Musical Time and other magazines.[1] As narrator he appears in works like Peter and the Wolf and The Carnival of the Animals, of which he performed his own version in the presence of HRH Princess Alexandra.[4]
He is a busy music teacher and works with many children's theatre groups.[3] From 1986 to 1999 he was a member of the British Youth Opera.[1]
Personal life
Chris de Souza is a Graduate in Music from Bristol University and a Graduate of the Directors’ Course of the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.[2] He's a member of the Royal Society of Musicians.[1]
De Souza lives in Boxford, Berkshire, with his wife and two sons Tristan and Sebastian. Two of his cousins are Simon de Souza, a noted horn teacher, and the actor Edward de Souza. He is of part Portuguese Indian descent through a grandfather.[5]
References
- ^ a b c d e "Chris de Souza biography". DeBretts. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
- ^ a b "Associates The Talking Trade". Retrieved 4 April 2012.
- ^ a b c "About Artsplay". Retrieved 4 April 2012.
- ^ a b c d "Artistic Adviser". Southern Sinfonia. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
- ^ "Edward de Souza Ancestry". Celestial Toyroom Issue 384. Retrieved 14 May 2012.