Death of James Loughran
Everyone at the Hallé has been saddened by news of the death of former Principal Conductor, James Loughran.
James Loughran was appointed permanent Principal Conductor of the Hallé in 1971, with the unenviable task of following the much-loved Sir John Barbirolli. His tenure was to last until 1983, when the Orchestra celebrated its 125th anniversary. Amongst his achievements were the remodelling of the Industrial Concerts as the Opus 1 series, including the introduction of a third concert thanks to popular demand. He frequently also conducted at the summer Hallé Promenade Concerts and introduced several contemporary works to Manchester, including McCabe’s The Chagall Windows. An impressive discography of recordings includes the complete Brahms Symphonies. He broadened the Hallé’s touring schedule abroad throughout Europe, including Norway and Sweden as well as trips to Hong Kong and Australia for the first time. Many of today’s concertgoers date their first experiences of the Hallé to his time with the Orchestra, and look back with great affection.