[Obituary] Conductor Emeritus James Lochlan
James Loughran, Conductor Emeritus of the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, passed away on June 19th. He was 92 years old.
He first performed with the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra at a regular concert in May 1980, performing an all-Beethoven program, and has since appeared on the podium continuously for 26 years, delivering many memorable concerts. In September 1993, he was appointed Permanent Guest Conductor (later renamed Principal Guest Conductor), and with a wide range of repertoire including Beethoven, Brahms, and Mahler, he brought a breath of fresh air to the orchestra's performances, contributing to the enrichment of the orchestra's repertoire. In 2006, he was awarded the title of Honorary Conductor.
In terms of British music, the program introduced the charms of many works, including the Japanese premiere of Elgar's Symphony No. 1 (1980), as well as works by Vaughan Williams, Walton, Delius, and others. Among these, Holst's The Planets, whose album with the Hallé Orchestra won a Gold Disc Award, has been performed many times by the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, leaving a deep impression on many audiences.
He also performed on long tours such as the 21st Kyushu Concert (1996) and Hokkaido Concert (1999), and was always accompanied by his wife, viola player Ludmila, when he came to Japan, and the couple built a family-like relationship with the Japan Philharmonic. Memories of this warm and human maestro come back to me one after another.
We would like to once again express our deepest gratitude to the Maestro and our deepest condolences.
James LOUGHRAN [Honorary Conductor]
Born in Glasgow, Scotland, he won the Philharmonia Orchestra's conducting competition, which had judges including Klemperer, Giulini, and Bould. He subsequently conducted most of the UK's orchestras, made his operatic debuts at Covent Garden and Sadler's Wells, and was appointed Music Director of the English Opera Group by Benjamin Britten. As Principal Conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, he appeared annually at the Edinburgh Festival. In 1970, he succeeded Barbirolli as Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Hallé Orchestra. With the orchestra, he toured from Stockholm to Sydney, drawing record audiences at their Manchester performance. His CD recordings have received gold discs from EMI and have garnered worldwide acclaim for his complete symphonies of Beethoven, Brahms, and Elgar. He later became the first British conductor to serve as Principal Conductor of the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, a major German orchestra, and toured extensively there. He also maintained close ties with the Stockholm Philharmonic and the BBC Symphony Orchestra, with whom he appeared five times on the Henry Wood Last Night of the Proms. As Principal Conductor of the BBC National Symphony Orchestra of Wales, he produced numerous television programs and toured extensively. He also toured Japan with the London Philharmonic and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. In recent years, he has focused his activities on orchestras in Scandinavia and mainland Europe, and in July 1996 he became Principal Conductor of the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra in Denmark. He has been a frequent guest conductor of the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra since 1980, and was appointed Principal Guest Conductor in September 1993.
(From the profile of the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra's Tokyo Regular Concert in November 2006)
