Trevor Pinnock

Trevor David Pinnock CBE (born December 16, 1946) is an English conductor and harpsichordist. He is best known for directing period-performance orchestra The English Concert from the harpsichord for over 30 years in baroque and early classical music.

Trevor Pinnock was born in Canterbury. He became a chorister at Canterbury Cathedral when he was 7, attending the Cathedral Choir School and later Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys. After receiving instruction in piano and organ, he served as a church organist. At 19, he entered the Royal College of Music in London, where he held a Foundation Scholarship for organ[1] and later studied harpsichord, winning the major prizes for performance on both instruments. He made his London debut at the Royal Festival Hall with the Galliard Trio (Stephen Preston, flute; Anthony Pleeth, cello) in 1966. His solo harpsichord debut was in 1968 at the Purcell Room in London. In November 1972 he was one of the founders of The English Concert, an orchestra specialising in performances of baroque and early classical music on period instruments.

Trevor Pinnock and Maxim Vengerov toured together in 2000, with Vengerov taking up the baroque violin for the first time and Pinnock taking up the modern Steinway grand piano. These remarkable concerts consisted of a first half of harpsichord and baroque violin, followed by a 2nd half of piano and modern violin. Today he divides his time between performing as a harpsichordist and guest-conducting both modern- and period-instrument orchestras. From 2006-7 he is to tour Europe, Asia and America with Bach's Brandenburg Concertos with the specially-formed European Brandenburg Ensemble. They will also record these works, due to be released by Avie Records some time in early 2007

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