| Biography | George Hurst (20 May 1926, Edinburgh, Scotland 15 September 2012) was a British conductor.
Hurst studied at Bishops College School in Lennoxville, Quebec and The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Canada.
Hurst acted as an associate conductor for the London Philharmonic Orchestra under Sir Adrian Boult for some time in the early 1950s. He was the chief conductor of the BBC Northern Orchestra (later the BBC Philharmonic) from 1958 to 1968. In 1956 he took part in the London Philharmonic tour of Russia. His conducting work with the BBC Northern included the first Manchester performance of Arnold Schoenberg's Gurre-Lieder in February 1966, and also the premiere of Thomas Pitfield's Concerto lirico for violin and orchestra.
Hurst formed the Bournemouth Sinfonietta in 1968 and was their artistic adviser until 1974. With the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, he led the first London performance of the Second Symphony of Malcolm Williamson on 31 October 1969. He was also the principal guest conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.
From 1960, Hurst was affiliated as a teacher with the Canford Summer School of Music. He was also a visiting professor at the Royal Academy of Music in London.
Hurst's recordings include Wagner operatic orchestral extracts with the New Philharmonia, The Planets with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, suites from King Arthur and Starlight Express by Elgar and English string music with the Bournemouth Sinfonietta, and Elgar's First Symphony with the BBC Philharmonic. |