John Nelson
American conductor John Wilton Nelson was born on 6 December 1941 in San José, Costa Rica to American Protestant missionaries, and he studied at Juilliard with Jean Morel.
He was music director of Greenwich Philharmonia (Connecticut) and the New Jersey Pro Arte Chorale. He was also a member of the conducting staff at New York Metropolitan Opera. His debut with both New York City Opera and Metropolitan Opera was with the opera Les Troyens by Hector Berlioz, and Nelson became known as a Berlioz expert.
He was music director of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (1976-1987) and music director then principal conductor of the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis (1985-91). He was music director of the Caramoor Festival in New York State (1983-90) and music director of what's now the Orchestre de Chambre de Paris for ten years from 1998.
His Christian background and his interest in choral music led to him setting up and becoming artistic director of Soli Deo Gloria, an organisation dedicated to the performance, preservation and promotion of sacred classical choral music - commissioning new music and sponsoring concerts and recordings.
John Nelson (1941-2025). Photo © 2010 SDG / Ideale Audience
During his five decade career, he worked with leading ensembles in Europe and North America, and also recorded extensively, for labels including Deutsche Grammophon, Erato, Virgin Classics and Warner Classics. He championed composers such as Henryk Górecki, Christopher Rouse and Ellen Taaffe Zwilich.
John Nelson died on 31 March 2025, aged eighty-three, in Chicago, Illinois.
A selection of articles about John Nelson
Classical music news - March 2025 Obituaries - Our summary of those the classical music world has lost this month
CD Spotlight. Immense Dramatic Power - Gerald Fenech listens to Berlioz. '... an interpretation overflowing with passion and flair ...'
CD Spotlight. Themes of Love and Loss - Music by Berlioz impresses Gerald Fenech. 'John Nelson's supreme mastery of these scores draws peerless performances full of exciting moments from the Orchestre philharmonique de Strasbourg, while bringing to the fore all the innovative details of orchestration and harmony.'
Ensemble. Tears Behind the Laughter - San Diego Opera's 'The Marriage of Figaro', reviewed by Ron Bierman
Ensemble. Exhilarating Music - Verdi, Rossini, Offenbach, Mozart and Theodore Morrison at Santa Fe Opera, enjoyed by Maria Nockin
Profile. The State of the Art - Maria Nockin talks to soprano Christine Brewer
Profile. Rich Musical Experiences - American conductor Joel Revzen talks to Maria Nockin
Record box. Crisp performance - Michel Dalberto plays Mozart Piano Concertos, reviewed by Patric Standford