Pitt, Percy
Pitt, Percy
Pitt, Percy , English conductor and composer; b. London, Jan. 4, 1870; d. there, Nov. 23, 1932. He studied with Jadassohn and Reinecke at the Leipzig Cons. and with Rheinberger at the Akademie der Tonkunst in Munich. Returning to England in 1893, he pursued his career in London. He was musical advisor (1902–07) and musical director (1907–24) of the Grand Opera Syndicate at Covent Garden, and also the first English conductor to appear at Covent Garden (1907), returning there in 1909–10 and 1919–20. He was artistic director of the British National Opera Co. (1922–24) and musical advisor to the BBC (1922–24), serving as the latter’s musical director (1924–30). He wrote stage music, a Ballade for Violin and Orch. (1900) for Ysaÿe, a Clarinet Concerto, and a Sérénade du passant for Tetrazzini.
Bibliography
J. Charnier, P. P. of Covent Garden and the BBC (London, 1938).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire