Myer Fredman - Conductor

He studied harmony, counterpoint and orchestration, keyboard and viola, and taught himself the double-bass followed by a period at the Dartington College of the Arts.  In London he then studied at The Opera School with Vilem Tausky and Peter Gellhorn. After completing formal studies he had a number of conducting lessons with Sir Adrian Boult, assisted Sir Charles Mackerras on BBC television operas (Carmen and La Traviata) and Otto Klemperer when he recorded Così fan tutte.
From 1959 to 1974 Myer Fredman worked at Glyndebourne initially as Chorus Master, then Conductor culminating in the position of First Conductor & Head of Music Staff. He was instrumental in the formation of Glyndebourne Touring Opera (now Glyndebourne on Tour) and was appointed it’s initial Music Director concurrent with conducting engagements in Ireland, Belgium, France, Poland, Romania, Germany, Scandinavia and Canada.
Myer Fredman was awarded a medal Per Servizio della Musica e Cultura Italiana in 1970.
During that period his recordings included Inscape by Edmund Rubbra coupled with the Elegie and Concerto for Strings by Robert Still both for Decca and for Lyrita he recorded Still’s Symphony No. 4, works by Arthur Benjamin and Delius, the world première recordings of the 1st. and 2nd. Symphonies by Arnold Bax and the 6th. and 16th. Symphonies by Havergal Brian. The Lyrita recordings have now been re-released on CD by Nimbus/Wyanstone.
After making his debut with the Australian Opera in 1974 in the recently opened Sydney Opera House, he was engaged by the New Opera Company in Adelaide, South Australia as it’s first Music Director and after it became The State Opera of South Australia he conducted the Australian premières of Tippett’s Midsummer Marriage (in the presence of the composer), and Britten’s Death in Venice at consecutive Adelaide Festivals.
From 1980 to 2000 he was Head of the Opera School at the Sydney Conservatorium and regularly conducted the six Australian symphony orchestras in both concerts and recordings as well as conducting for the Australian Opera (now Opera Australia) later becoming one of its Artistic Associates. His Australian recordings include Puccini’s Le Villi (producer John Culshaw), The Apocalypse by Goossens, Job and the Partita for Double String Orchestra by Vaughan Williams, The Prima Donna by Arthur Benjamin and world première recordings of Peter Sculthorpe’s Piano Concerto and television opera, Quiros.
With the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra he conducted CD’s of works by Britten and Delius for Naxos and international invitations have taken him to England, Canada, America, Argentina and Uruguay. For a number of years he was Artistic Director of a Summer School in Salt Lake City.
He is currently an Adjunct Professor at the University of Tasmania’s Conservatorium of Music and has recently been appointed Artistic Director of the Tasmanian Youth Orchestra.