Christopher Hogwood

Christopher Hogwood (1941–2014) was a celebrated English conductor, harpsichordist, and musicologist, widely regarded as a pioneer of the Historically Informed Performance (HIP) movement. Born in Nottingham, he attended The Skinners’ School before studying Music and Classics at Pembroke College, Cambridge, graduating in 1964. He trained under influential figures such as Raymond Leppard, Thurston Dart, and Gustav Leonhardt, and studied in Prague under Zuzana Růžičková. In 1967, Hogwood co-founded the Early Music Consort with David Munrow, and in 1973, he founded the Academy of Ancient Music, which became a leading ensemble in the revival of Baroque and Classical music using period instruments.

Hogwood’s career spanned five decades and included over 200 recordings. His landmark projects included the first complete cycle of Mozart’s symphonies performed on period instruments and a best-selling recording of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, which charted alongside pop albums in the 1980s. He served as Artistic Director of the Handel and Haydn Society in Boston (1986–2001), Mostly Mozart Festival in London, and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra in Minnesota. His operatic work included productions of Don Giovanni, Dido and Aeneas, and The Marriage of Figaro, with performances at venues such as La Scala and the Royal Opera House. Hogwood’s legacy endures through his recordings, scholarship, and influence on generations of musicians dedicated to authentic performance practice.