Ian Hunter (impresario)
Encyclopedia
Sir Ian Bruce Hope Hunter (April 2, 1919— 5 September 2003) was a British
impresario
of classical music
. Known as ‘Mr. Festival’ to many in the arts
world, Hunter was one of the most important figures in a post-World War II
cultural renaissance in the United Kingdom
. From the mid-1950s, he headed the music management agency Harold Holt Ltd, which joined with Lies Askonas Ltd in the late 1990s to form Askonas Holt.
, Middlesex
, Hunter began his career in 1947, as assistant to artistic director Rudolf Bing at the very first Edinburgh Festival
. He succeeded Bing as the festival's director in 1950, remaining in the position through 1955. He served as the director of numerous other festivals, including the Bath Festival from 1948–1968, the City of London Festival from 1962–1980, the Brighton Festival from 1967–1983, and festivals in Windsor and Hong Kong. “Festivals,” he once said, “are like sudden fireworks
in a dark sky.”
Hunter was also a talent manager, celebrated as chairman of Harold Holt Ltd. (now Askonas Holt Ltd.) from 1953 to 1988. He died in Balcombe, West Sussex
at the age of 84.
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
impresario
Impresario
An impresario is a person who organizes and often finances concerts, plays or operas; analogous to a film producer in filmmaking, television production and an angel investor in business...
of classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
. Known as ‘Mr. Festival’ to many in the arts
The arts
The arts are a vast subdivision of culture, composed of many creative endeavors and disciplines. It is a broader term than "art", which as a description of a field usually means only the visual arts. The arts encompass visual arts, literary arts and the performing arts – music, theatre, dance and...
world, Hunter was one of the most important figures in a post-World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
cultural renaissance in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. From the mid-1950s, he headed the music management agency Harold Holt Ltd, which joined with Lies Askonas Ltd in the late 1990s to form Askonas Holt.
Biography
Born in Hadley WoodHadley Wood
Hadley Wood is a suburb of North London, close to the border with Hertfordshire. It is located in the London Borough of Enfield, about north north-west of Charing Cross and is situated close to Barnet...
, Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
, Hunter began his career in 1947, as assistant to artistic director Rudolf Bing at the very first Edinburgh Festival
Edinburgh Festival
The Edinburgh Festival is a collective term for many arts and cultural festivals that take place in Edinburgh, Scotland each summer, mostly in August...
. He succeeded Bing as the festival's director in 1950, remaining in the position through 1955. He served as the director of numerous other festivals, including the Bath Festival from 1948–1968, the City of London Festival from 1962–1980, the Brighton Festival from 1967–1983, and festivals in Windsor and Hong Kong. “Festivals,” he once said, “are like sudden fireworks
Fireworks
Fireworks are a class of explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display. A fireworks event is a display of the effects produced by firework devices...
in a dark sky.”
"Characteristic of Hunter’s capacity for thinking big was the CommonwealthCommonwealth of NationsThe Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
Arts Festival of 1965. In preparing it he visited 23 countries, and it was held simultaneously, over two weeks, in LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, GlasgowGlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, CardiffCardiffCardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
and LiverpoolLiverpoolLiverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
. DanceDanceDance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
was strongly featured: CaribbeanCaribbeanThe Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, AfricanAfrican danceAfrican dance refers mainly to the dance of Sub-Saharan Africa, and more appropriately African dances because of the many cultural differences in musical and movement styles...
and Indian groups rubbed friendly shoulders with classical companies from AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. JazzJazzJazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
jostled with the classics. MenuhinYehudi MenuhinYehudi Menuhin, Baron Menuhin, OM, KBE was a Russian Jewish American violinist and conductor who spent most of his performing career in the United Kingdom. He was born to Russian Jewish parents in the United States, but became a citizen of Switzerland in 1970, and of the United Kingdom in 1985...
shared a platform with Ravi ShankarRavi ShankarRavi Shankar , often referred to by the title Pandit, is an Indian musician and composer who plays the plucked string instrument sitar. He has been described as the best known contemporary Indian musician by Hans Neuhoff in Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart.Shankar was born in Varanasi and spent...
. Balloons were released and fireworks rocketed."
Hunter was also a talent manager, celebrated as chairman of Harold Holt Ltd. (now Askonas Holt Ltd.) from 1953 to 1988. He died in Balcombe, West Sussex
Balcombe, West Sussex
Balcombe is a village and civil parish in the Mid Sussex district of West Sussex, England. It lies south of London, north of Brighton, and east northeast of the county town of Chichester. Nearby towns include Crawley to the northwest and Haywards Heath to the south southeast...
at the age of 84.