Ulster Orchestra to pay tribute to former principal conductor Kenneth Montgomery

He was the first Ulsterman to hold this important classical musical post.

This appointment pleased him greatly and he said: “I was flattered to be working with one of my favourite orchestras, which was always very good, with some excellent musicians, and I have many memories of working with them in my native city”.

Mr Montgomery was born in Belfast and educated at RBAI. From his early years he demonstrated a great talent for music, and he later attended the Royal College of Music, and also studied with some outstanding contemporary European conductors including Sir Adrian Boult and Sir John Pritchard.

He also showed a great talent for opera, and worked with the Glyndebourne Festival Opera, the Sadler’s Wells Opera, and the Sante Fe Opera in the USA.

Mr Montgomery also had a distinguished career in the Netherlands and was a former director of the Dutch Radio Choir and the Netherlands Radio Symphony, and he was director of Opera Studies at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague.

Tomorrow’s concert is the first in the BBC Invitation Series for BBC Radio 3, and it is dedicated to the memory of Mr Montgomery.

It will also be attended by his Dutch husband Jan van Doreen, and a large number of his former friends and associates. The conductor will be Jac van Steen, a friend and colleague of Mr Montgomery.

The concert will also mark the 40th birthday of the outstanding Ulster-born pianist Michael McHale, who will perform the Hans Henkemans Concerto No 1 for piano and string orchestra.

Richard Yarr, the senior producer for Arts and Music with BBC Northern Ireland, said: “Ken was a superb communicator and audiences and musicians loved to hear what he had to say, not least in his time as the Ulster Orchestra’s Principal.

"His recordings for the BBC brought great kudos to the region, and we are delighted to play a part with this BBC Invitation concert to mark his achievements.”

Patrick McCarthy, the Ulster Orchestra’s artistic director and deputy CEO, said: “Ken brought a great deal of warmth and humour to rehearsals and performances, along with a deeply-earned but lightly-held scholarly approach.

"He conducted some truly memorable concerts with us, including many with the BBC and most notably at the Proms, which makes this tribute to his life and work truly fitting.”