Barbirolli, John (Giovanni Battista) (1899-1970)

English conductor. He excelled in the Romantic repertory, especially the symphonies of Elgar, Sibelius, Mahler, and Vaughan Williams. Trained as a cellist, he succeeded Arturo Toscanini as conductor of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra from 1937 to 1943 and was conductor of the Hallé Orchestra, Manchester, England from 1943 to 1970.

Born in London, of French and Italian descent, he studied at Trinity College, London, 1911-12 and at the Royal Academy of Music, London, 1912-17. He made his debut as a cellist aged 11, and joined the Queen's Hall Orchestra in that capacity in 1915. He achieved recognition as a conductor in 1926, and later succeeded Toscanini as chief conductor of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra in 1937. He married the oboist Evelyn Rothwell in 1939. He returned to England in 1943, where he took over the Hallé Orchestra. In 1949 he was knighted and in 1950 received the Royal Philharmonic Society's gold medal. With the Hallé he gave the first performances of Vaughan Williams's seventh and eighth symphonies. He was guest conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, and Chicago Symphony Orchestra.