Robert King (born 27 June 1960 in Wombourne) is an English conductor, harpsichordist, editor and author. His career has concentrated on period performance of classical music, in particular from the baroque and early modern periods. In 2007, he was convicted of indecent assault: in 2009, he resumed his musical career.
Career
As a youth, he was a member of the Choir of St John's College, Cambridge. He read music at St John's College, Cambridge and in 1980, while still a student, founded the period instrument orchestra The King's Consort.The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music, Oxford University Press, 1996/ As conductor and artistic director of The King's Consort, King has made more than 100 recordings, mostly for Hyperion Records.
He has worked as a conductor with orchestras in Europe and North America, including the Seattle, Houston, New World, Oregon, Detroit, Atlanta, Minnesota, WDR and NDR Symphony Orchestras, the Bergen Philharmonic, the Munich Radio Orchestra, Zurich Chamber Orchestra, Danish National Radio Orchestra, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte Carlo, the Orchestra della RAI Torino, Orchestra Sinfonica Giuseppe Verdi di Milano, the Orquesta Sinfónica de Tenerife, Orquesta Ciudad de Barcelona, Real Filharmonia de Galicia, Real Orquesta Sinfónica de Sevilla and the Orquesta e Coro Ciudad de Madrid. As a choral conductor, King has worked with the Nederlands Kamerkoor, Orfeo Catala, Orfeón Donostiarra, Swiss Radio Choir and the BBC Singers. Operatic work has included Handel Ottone in Japan and the UK, Handel Ezio in Paris, Purcell The Indian Queen in the UK and Germany, Purcell The Fairy Queen in Spain and Britain and Gluck Armide for Buxton Festival. He has written and presented for the BBC, been artistic director of music festivals in Sweden, Germany, and the UK, and contributed to the scores of a number of Hollywood films including Pirates of the Caribbean, Shrek 2, Flushed Away, and The Da Vinci Code.
Besides his work in the field of baroque music, King has conducted a wide spread of classical and early romantic works, symphonic and choral, with a particular focus on the music of Mozart, Haydn and Mendelssohn, and a continuing specialisation in early twentieth century English composers, notably the works of Vaughan Williams, Stanford and Parry.
Having recorded mostly for Hyperion Records from 1987 until 2007, since 2012 he has recorded for the Vivat label, whose debut recording, I Was Glad, reached number 1 in the UK Specialist Classical Albums Chart and was a finalist in the 2013 Gramophone Awards. A series of recordings of the music of Purcell were finalists in the Gramophone awards in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
From 1996-2002 King was a director of PAMRA (Performing Artists Media Rights Association), a UK not-for-profit organisation set up in 1996 as a result of EU directive 92/100/EEC, Article 8(2), which gave performers the right to receive "equitable remuneration". Prior to this, “non-featured artists” (including backing musicians, orchestral players and choral singers) did not receive royalties when their performances were broadcast or played in public. Involved in complex rights negotiations over his six years on the board, King was one of two PAMRA directors to sign the society’s first reciprocal international agreement, that with the Dutch collection society SENA, opening the door to dozens of similar international agreements. By 2002 PAMRA had more than 15,000 members and was paying out millions of pounds in royalties to rank-and-file musicians.
A published author and editor of many scores, principally of baroque music, King wrote a monograph, ‘Henry Purcell - "A Greater Musical Genius England Never had"‘ (London: Thames & Hudson) published in 1995, coinciding with the 300th anniversary of the composer's death in 1695. In 2010 and 2011, two volumes of English church music edited by King were published by Oxford University Press, followed in 2012 and 2014 by editions of choral works by Emanuele d'Astorga and Henry Purcell. A further 90 editions of choral and instrumental music, predominantly from the baroque period but also including substantial choral works by Felix Mendelssohn and Charles Villiers Stanford, have been published by The King’s Consort.
Personal life
In 2007, King was convicted of fourteen charges of historical indecent assault of five males, three under the age of sixteen, between 1983 and 1994; he was acquitted on another charge. King received a sentence of 3 years 9 months and was placed on the sex offenders' register. During the case, King pleaded "not guilty": when questioned if the boys were lying, he replied "absolutely".Amy Bourke, Conductor jailed for abusing boys can still teach, Pink News, 6 June 2007 (accessed 2 February 2019) Following his sentence, King was not prohibited from working with children. In 2013, commenting after criticism for his taking part in a charity fundraising concert, King stated that he had 'accepted my sentence, and have paid my debt to society'.
King is married, with two children.
Published works Henry Purcell - "A Greater Musical Genius England Never had". London: Thames & Hudson, 1995. English Church Music. Volume 1: Anthems and Motets. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010. English Church Music. Volume 2: Canticles and Responses. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011. Emanuele d’Astorga: Stabat Mater. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012. Henry Purcell: Te Deum and Jubilate Deo. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2014.
Discography Founded in 1980 by Robert King, the period instrument orchestra and choir The King's Consort has made more than 100 recordings under King's direction, winning many international awards and selling more than 1,500,000 copies.
Label Catalogue No Title YearMeridian CDE84126 Handel: Eternal Source of Light 1986Meridian CDE84129 Vivaldi: Laudate Pueri 1987Meridian CDE84138 Vivaldi: Salve Regina 1987Hyperion CDA66253 Blow/Purcell: Countertenor duets 1987Hyperion CDA66267 Bach/Telemann: Oboe Concertos 1988Hyperion CDA66294 Pergolesi: Stabat Mater 1988Hyperion CDA66314 Purcell: Complete Odes, Vol. 1 - Royal & Ceremonial Odes 1988Hyperion CDA66278 Telemann: Musique de Table 1989Hyperion CDA66288 Purcell: Mr Henry Purcell's Most Admirable Composures 1989IMP PCD894 Great Baroque Arias 1989Hyperion CDA66315 Handel: Music for Royal Occasions 1989Hyperion CDA66326 Bach: Cantatas 54, 169 & 170 1989Hyperion CDA66339 Vivaldi: The Four Seasons 1989Hyperion CDA66349 Purcell: Complete Odes, Vol. 2 - Hail, bright Cecilia! 1989Hyperion CDA66350 Handel: Fireworks Music & Coronation Anthems 1989Hyperion CDA66380 Bach: Violin Concertos 1989Hyperion CDA66361/2 Handel: Acis & Galatea 1990Hyperion CDA66377 Mozart: Epistle Sonatas 1990Erato 245 014-2 De Lalande: Sacred Music 1990Hyperion CDA66398 Schütz: The Christmas Story 1990Hyperion CDA66412 Purcell: Complete Odes, Vol. 3 - Fly, bold rebellion 1990Hyperion CDA66440 Handel: Italian Duets 1990Hyperion CDA66383 Albinoni/Vivaldi: Oboe Concertos 1991Hyperion CDA66447 Awake Sweet Love 1991Hyperion CDA66456 Purcell: Complete Odes, Vol. 4 - Ye tuneful Muses 1991Hyperion CDA66461/2 Handel: Joshua 1991Hyperion CDA66474 Couperin: Leçons de Ténèbres 1991Hyperion CDA66476 Purcell: Complete Odes, Vol. 5 - Welcome glorious morn 1991Hyperion CDA66483 Handel: James Bowman sings Heroic Arias 1991Hyperion CDA66494 Purcell: Complete Odes, Vol. 6 - Love's goddess sure 1992Hyperion CDA66585 Purcell: Complete Anthems & Services, Vol. 1 1992Hyperion CDA66587 Purcell: Complete Odes, Vol. 7 - Yorkshire Feast Song 1992Hyperion CDA66598 Purcell: Complete Odes, Vol. 8 - Come ye sons of Art 1992Hyperion CDA66609 Purcell: Complete Anthems & Services, Vol. 2 1992Hyperion CDA66623 Purcell: Complete Anthems & Services, Vol. 3 1993Hyperion CDA66641/2 Handel: Judas Maccabaeus 1993Hyperion CDA66644 Purcell: Complete Anthems & Services, Vol. 4 1993Hyperion CDA66656 Purcell: Complete Anthems & Services, Vol. 5 1993Hyperion CDA66663 Purcell: Complete Services & Anthems, Vol. 6 1993Hyperion CDA66841/2 Handel: Deborah 1993United 88002 Music from the Courts of Europe: London 1993Hyperion CDA66751/3 Handel: Ottone 1993Hyperion CDA66677 Purcell: Complete Anthems & Services, Vol. 7 1994Hyperion CDA66686 Purcell: Complete Anthems & Services, Vol. 8 1994Hyperion CDA66693 Purcell: Complete Anthems & Services, Vol. 9 1994Hyperion CDA66707 Purcell: Complete Anthems & Services, Vol. 10 1994Hyperion CDA66710 Purcell: Complete Secular solo songs, Vol. 1 1994Hyperion CDA66716 Purcell: Complete Anthems & Services, Vol. 11 1994Hyperion CDA66720 Purcell: Complete Secular solo songs, Vol. 2 1994Hyperion CDA66730 Purcell: Complete Secular solo songs, Vol. 3 1994Hyperion CDA66769 Vivaldi: Sacred Music Vol. 1 1995Hyperion CDA66797 Handel: James Bowman sings English Arias 1995Hyperion CDA66881/2 Vivaldi: Complete Cello Sonatas 1995Hyperion CDA66961/2 Handel: The Occasional Oratorio 1995Hyperion CDA66779 Vivaldi: Sacred Music Vol. 2 1996Hyperion CDA66843 Bach: Six Trio Sonatas 1996Hyperion CDA66875 Scarlatti/Hasse: Salve Regina 1996Hyperion CDA67171/3 Handel: Joseph & his Brethren 1996Hyperion CDA66789 Vivaldi: Sacred Music Vol. 3 1997Hyperion CDA66967 Handel/Telemann: Water Music 1997Hyperion CDA67201/2 Bach: Mass in B minor 1997Hyperion CDA67241/2 Handel: Alexander Balus 1997Hyperion CDA67281/2 Vivaldi: Sacred Music, Vol. 4 - Juditha Triumphans 1998Hyperion CDA67048 Lo Sposalizio 1998Hyperion CDA67059 Kuhnau: Sacred Music 1998Hyperion CDA67073 Vivaldi: Concerti con molti istromenti 1998Accenture CONS1001 The Bright Seraphim 1998Hyperion CDA66799 Vivaldi: Sacred Music Vol. 5 1999Hyperion CDA67108 Boccherini, Astorga: Stabat Mater 1999Hyperion CDA67283/4 Handel: L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato 1999Accenture CONS1002 The Grand Tour 1999Hyperion CDA67160 Knüpfer: Sacred Music 2000Hyperion CDA66809 Vivaldi: Sacred Music, Vol. 6 2000Hyperion CDA66819 Vivaldi: Sacred Music, Vol. 7 2001Hyperion CDA67260 Schelle: Sacred Music 2001Hyperion CDA67266 Haydn, Hummel, Hertel Trumpet Concertos 2001Hyperion CDA67286 The Coronation of King George, 1727 2001Hyperion CDA67298 Handel: The Choice of Hercules 2002Hyperion CDA67361/2 Vivaldi: La Senna Festeggiante 2002Hyperion CDA66829 Vivaldi: Sacred Music, Vol. 8 2002Hyperion CDA66839 Vivaldi: Sacred Music, Vol. 9 2003Hyperion CDA67350 Zelenka: Sacred Music 2003Hyperion CDA67428 Monteverdi: Sacred Music, Vol. 1 2003Hyperion CDA67438 Monteverdi: Sacred Music, Vol. 2 2004Hyperion CDA67463 Handel: Ode for St Cecilia's Day 2004Hyperion CDA67487 Monteverdi: Sacred Music, Vol. 3 2004Hyperion CDA66849 Vivaldi: Sacred Music, Vol. 10 2004Hyperion CDA67510 Haydn, Michael: Requiem 2005Hyperion CDA 67519 Monteverdi: Sacred Music, Vol. 4 2005Hyperion CDA67553 Vivaldi: Cello Concertos 2006Hyperion CDA67560 Mozart: Exsultate jubilate 2006Hyperion CDA67531/2 Monteverdi: Vespers, 1610 2006Hyperion CDA67570 Rossini: Petite Messe solennelle 2006Hyperion CDA67627 Handel: German Arias 2007Vivat VIVAT 101 I was glad: Sacred Music of Stanford & Parry 2013Vivat VIVAT 102 Couperin: Trois Leçons de Ténèbres 2013Vivat VIVAT 104 Monteverdi: Heaven and Earth 2013Vivat VIVAT 105 Handel: Your tuneful voice 2014Vivat VIVAT 106 Purcell: Ten Sonatas in Four Parts 2014Vivat VIVAT 110 Purcell: Twelve Sonatas of Three Parts 2015Vivat VIVAT 111 Handel-Mendelssohn: Israel in Ägypten 2016Vivat VIVAT 113 A Voice from Heaven 2017Vivat VIVAT 117 Abbandonata: Handel Italian cantatas 2018Vivat VIVAT 118 Elegy: Purcell & Blow duets for countertenors 2019Vivat VIVAT 121 Purcell: Royal Odes 2020Vivat VIVAT 122 Purcell: Birthday Odes for Queen Mary 2021Vivat VIVAT 123 Bach: Six Trio Sonatas 2023
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