James Loughran

Educated at St Aloysius' College in Glasgow,[1] Loughran conducted at school and afterwards, while studying economics and law.

Loughran made his Covent Garden debut with Verdi's Aida in 1964, which led to Benjamin Britten inviting him to be music director of the English Opera Group.

Other work in the UK included conducting the first concert of the newly formed Scottish Chamber Orchestra in 1974.

He became a Freeman of the City of London in 1991, and in the 2010 New Year Honours he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).

[3] He was also President of Edinburgh Youth Orchestra and a Fellow of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama.

Loughran's Hallé recording of Holst's The Planets won a Gold Disc from EMI and there was universal praise for his Beethoven, Brahms and Elgar cycles of symphonies.

The recording session also received television coverage on the programme Aquarius, under the title "The Unknown Warrior".