Page 112 - ASMF Marriner 100 Coverage Book

In 1958, he was asked by four of his colleagues to form an elite string orchestra. Neville Marriner and
thirteen musicians founded an ensemble with the ambition of a democratic practice of music, far from
the tyranny of the imperators of the baton. The beginnings were modest and the artists found
themselves rehearsing in an apartment. Harpsichordist John Churchill, who was in charge of music at
St Martin-in-the-Fields Church, had the idea of planning concerts there, and violist Michael Bowie
suggested the name Academy. The Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields was born! A short concert
season is planned and it is a success! In 1961, it was the first recording with works by Corelli, Torelli,
Locatelli, Albicastro and Handel.

At the beginning of the adventure, Marriner conducted the violin before fully embarking on orchestral
conducting. He was even encouraged by Pierre Monteux, then working at the LSO and with whom he
had taken courses at his conducting school in Hancock, Maine, USA. In 1969, Neville Marriner
resigned from his position at the LSO and devoted himself entirely to conducting as the orchestra
grew to a full-fledged chamber orchestra. It was this year that he began his collaboration with EMI
with violinist Josef Suk for an album of short pieces by Schubert, Mozart and Beethoven.

The Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields is becoming more and more successful, but Sir Neville
Marriner is not a man to get stuck in a routine; in 1969, he crossed the Atlantic and the USA to found
the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, which he conducted for 9 years. From 1979 to 1986, he was the
music director of the Minnesota Orchestra and then principal conductor of the Stuttgart Radio
Symphony Orchestra from 1986 to 1989.

Of course, he remained attached to his Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, even if between 1974
and 1980 it was Iona Brown who was in charge of it. In 2011, he passed the torch to Joshua Bell
while continuing to be a guest conductor across continents. In 2014, at the age of 90, he was even
the oldest conductor to conduct a BBC Proms concert.