Kenneth Montgomery

Who is Kenneth Montgomery?

Kenneth Montgomery OBE is a British conductor, the only child of Lily and Tom Montgomery. His upbringing was in Wandsworth Parade and he attended the Royal Belfast Academical Institution. His musical studies were at the Royal College of Music. He studied with Sir Adrian Boult, and later continued to study conducting with Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt, Sergiu Celibidache, and Sir John Pritchard. His early conducting engagements included work at Glyndebourne Festival Opera, as an assistant conductor, assistant choral conductor and rehearsal pianist. He later served on the conducting staff at Sadler's Wells Opera.

In 1973, Montgomery became music director of the Bournemouth Sinfonietta. He was music director of Glyndebourne Touring Opera from 1975 to 1976, and has continued with the ensemble as a guest conductor. In 1985, he became both artistic and musical director of Opera Northern Ireland. With the Ulster Orchestra, Montgomery served as its Principal Guest Conductor, and in September 2006, the orchestra announced him as their Principal Conductor effective in September 2007, the first Belfast-born musician named as the orchestra's Principal Conductor.