Stage Door News
Stage Door News
Berthold Carriere has been named director of music emeritus at the Stratford Festival.
The honorary position was bestowed upon him by artistic director Antoni Cimolino at the Festival’s loyal service dinner Sunday night.
“Bert has made an enormous contribution to music at Stratford,” Cimolino said. “It was under his tenure that the performance of musicals became such a source of strength and renown for our Festival. He is also, to my mind, one of the very finest composers for the theatre.”
Carriere was a musical mainstay at the Festival for decades. He was director of music from 1975 until 2007. He started as a conductor in 1973 and, the following year, wrote the music for Ready Steady Go.
By the end of his career, he had composed or arranged music for more than 80 Festival productions. Five of those
went to New York, including The Mikado (1984), Much Ado About Nothing and The Miser (1998), King Lear (2004) and The Importance of Being Earnest (2009). In addition to those plays, some Gilbert and Sullivan musicals went to the Old Vic in London, England, or were broadcast on CBC in Canada and A&E in the United States.
Over his time at the Festival, Carriere brought more than music, Cimolino said.
“Bert’s kind personality, his generosity and his care for the Festival have made him not only an important composer and conductor but also a leader who brought humanity to our artistic ambitions.”
Carriere is the recipient of many awards and honours including being named a member of the Order of Canada.
By Laura Cudworth for www.stratfordbeaconherald.com.
Photo: Berthold Carrière. ©2013 The Beacon Herald.
2013-10-07
Stratford: Stratford Festival names Berthold Carrière Director of Music Emeritus