Vale Myer Fredman

The ABC has announced the death of conductor Myer Fredman, who passed away last Friday night in Hobart, aged 82.

Myer Fredman was very active in opera and orchestral music in Australian in the 70s, 80s and 90s, in Europe, and especially in his native UK, prior to moving to Australia. He was notable as a staff conductor at Glyndebourne and, for many years, Head of Glyndebourne Touring Opera. He was also a respected teacher of conducting. 

Myer Fredman conducted the Australian premieres of Tippet’s A Midsummer Marriage and Britten’s Death in Venice, and was a highly-regarded Mozart and Britten conductor. He was Music Director of the State Opera of South Australia before being appointed Head of the Sydney Conservatorium Opera School. 

He moved to Hobart some years ago and in semi-retirement continued to conduct and teach as Adjunct Professor at the University of Tasmania’s Conservatorium of Music as well as being involved in creating The Tasmanian Discovery Orchestra.  In 2013 he conducted Purcell’s Dido & Aeneas and Britten’s Phaedra.

You can hear a tribute to Myer Fredman, drawn from his recordings, broadcast on ABC Classic FM this Saturday July 12th at 1 pm. Click here for a biography. 

Click here for an extensive and enlightening interview from 1997.