Frederick Loewe - My Fair Lady (John Wilson)

Information

Composer: Frederick Loewe

• My Fair Lady

Scarlett Strallen; Jamie Parker

Malcolm Sinclair; Alun Armstrong

Laurence Kilsby; Penelope Wilton

Julia McKenzie

'My Fair Lady' Ensemble

Sinfonia of London

John Wilson, conductor

Date: 2025

Label: Chandos

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My Fair Lady is a celebrated musical with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe, based on George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion and its 1938 film adaptation. It tells the story of Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons from phonetician Henry Higgins to pass as a lady. Over time, Higgins unexpectedly grows attached to her. Premiering on Broadway in 1956, the show was a critical and popular triumph, winning six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and setting a Broadway record run. Revivals and the 1964 Oscar-winning film cemented its enduring legacy.

John Wilson (b. 1972, Gateshead) is a renowned conductor and Fellow of the Royal College of Music. He regularly guest conducts leading orchestras worldwide, including the London Symphony, Concertgebouw, Oslo Philharmonic, and Sydney Symphony, as well as productions at English National Opera and Glyndebourne. In 2018 he relaunched Sinfonia of London, achieving award-winning recordings praised for their range and artistry, and made a triumphant BBC Proms debut in 2021. His acclaimed discography includes Respighi’s Roman Trilogy and Dutilleux’s early works, both BBC Music Magazine Award winners. Honored with the ISM Distinguished Musician Award in 2019, he also holds the Henry Wood Chair of Conducting at the Royal Academy of Music.