What is Charles Mackerras?
[[Image:Sir Charles Mackerras.jpg|thumb|220px| Sir Charles Mackerras]] '''Sir Charles Mackerras''', (born 17 November 1925; died 14 July 2010) was an [[Australia]]n [[conducting|conductor]]. He was very famous for his conducting of [[opera]]s, especially the operas of [[Leoš Janáček|Janáček]] and [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]], and the [[comedy|comic]] operas of [[Gilbert and Sullivan]]. Mackerras was born in [[Schenectady, New York]], and was brought up in [[Sydney]], Australia. He went to the [[New South Wales]] Conservatory to study [[oboe]], [[piano]] and composing. He became an [[oboe]] player with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra during [[World War II]], and was made the principal oboist in 1946.<ref name=smh>{{Cite web |url= http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/conductor-sir-charles-mackerras-dies-20100715-10c2w.html |title=Conductor Sir Charles Mackerras dies |work=smh.com.au |access-date=2 December 2010 }}</ref> He conducted the orchestra at the opening of the [[Sydney Opera House]] in 1973.<ref name=smh/> Five years later he was the first Australian conductor to be the orchestra's principal conductor.<ref name=smh/> Mackerras received many honours, including Companion of the [[Order of Australia]], Order of the Companions of Honour, Commander of the [[Order of the British Empire]] (1979). He died from cancer in [[London]], where he lived for many years.<ref>{{Cite web |url= http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/sir-charles-mackerras-dies-20100715-10bx3.html |title=Sir Charles Mackerras dies |work=smh.com.au |access-date=2 December 2010 }}</ref> ==Discography== ;Studio albums * ''Gilbert & Sullivan: The Pirates of Penzance'' (1993) * ''Mozart: Don Giovanni'' (1996) ==References== {{reflist}} {{bio-stub}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Mackerras, Charles}} [[Category:1925 births]] [[Category:2010 deaths]] [[Category:People from Schenectady, New York]] [[Category:Australian conductors]] [[Category:Grammy Award winners]] [[Category:Oboists]] [[Category:Order of Australia]] [[Category:Gilbert and