Davis, Sir Colin Rex

1927–, English conductor. Davis began his musical career as a clarinetist; he is a self-taught conductor. After serving with the Sadler's Wells Opera, he was conductor of the British Broadcasting Corporation Symphony (1967–71) and of the Royal Opera, Covent Garden (1971–86). He made his American debut in 1961 with the Minneapolis Symphony. Chief conductor of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in Munich from 1983 to 1992, he became the principal conductor of the London Symphony in 1995 and principal guest conductor of the New York Philharmonic in 1996. Davis is renowned as a conductor of Mozart, Berlioz, and Wagner.