Harry Christophers

Richard Henry Tudor "Harry" Christophers CBE (born 26 December 1953) is an English conductor.

Richard Henry Tudor Christophers was born in Goudhurst, Kent. He was a chorister at Canterbury Cathedral under choirmaster Allan Wicks, and later went to the King's School, Canterbury, where he played clarinet in the orchestra alongside Andrew Marriner. He has cited as his childhood musical influences the Rolling Stones, Brahms, Mahler, Stravinsky and Jethro Tull.

Christophers became an academical clerk at Magdalen College, Oxford, studying classics for two years before beginning his musical career. He spent six years as a lay vicar at Westminster Abbey and then time as a member of the Clerkes of Oxenford and three years in the BBC Singers.

Christophers founded the vocal ensemble The Sixteen in 1979. He has directed The Sixteen and its orchestra throughout Europe, America and the Far East, becoming recognised for his work in Renaissance, Baroque and 20th-century music. With The Sixteen he has conducted recordings for CORO (The Sixteen's own label) and other labels including Hyperion Records, UCJ and Virgin Classics. Several recordings have received honours such as a Grand Prix du Disque and a Midem award for Handel's Messiah, numerous Schallplattenkritik, the Gramophone Award for Early Music and the Classical Brit Award 2005 for the disc Renaissance. The Sixteen's 2009 recording of Handel's Coronation Anthems earned a Classic FM Gramophone Award in the Baroque Vocal category as well as Artist of the Year honours for Christophers and The Sixteen. The recording also earned Christophers a Grammy nomination for Best Choral Performance.

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