Richard Gilford Adeney was a British flautist who played principal flute with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the English Chamber Orchestra, was a soloist and a founding member of the Melos Ensemble.
14 Facts About Richard Adeney
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Richard Adeney was born the son of the painter Bernard Adeney.
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Richard Adeney was determined early in life, to "become the best flute player in the world", as he stated in his autobiography.
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Richard Adeney was educated at Dartington Hall School and subsequently studied at the Royal College of Music, where one of his contemporaries and close friends was Malcolm Arnold, who composed in 1940 a Grand Fantasia for flute, trumpet and piano for him and a pianist, premiered in February 1941.
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Richard Adeney joined the London Philharmonic Orchestra in 1941, initially as second flute, and played with them until 1950 and again from 1961 to 1970, under such conductors as Henry Wood and Wilhelm Furtwangler.
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Richard Adeney was one of the founding members of the Melos Ensemble, principal flautist of the English Chamber Orchestra until the 1970s when he was succeeded by William Bennett, and regularly performed as a soloist.
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Richard Adeney was closely associated with Benjamin Britten, and performed in many performances and recordings of the composer's works, notably in 1962 with the Melos Ensemble in the premiere and recording of the War Requiem that Britten conducted himself.
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Richard Adeney participated in the premiere and first recording of Britten's Curlew River in 1964.
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Richard Adeney recalled: "Curlew River had more rehearsal time than any other new work that I have ever played".
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Richard Adeney performed in notable recordings, such as Johann Sebastian Bach's Brandenburg Concertos, which was recorded under Britten's baton, or in his St Matthew Passion conducted by David Willcocks.
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Richard Adeney premiered the Elegy for flute, harp and string orchestra by John Veale in 1951.
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Richard Adeney died on 16 December 2010, aged 90, in Paddington.
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Richard Adeney contributed to the biography of Malcolm Arnold and is the author of flute, his autobiography.
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Richard Adeney has been a photographer whose photos appear on record covers and illustrate his autobiography and other books.