Christopher Finzi
|
Christopher "Kiffer" Finzi, (born 1934), is a British orchestral conductor.
He is the son of composer Gerald Finzi. Like his father, the younger Finzi became a pacifist; he refused to do his National Service, and was briefly imprisoned. After his father's death in 1956, he helped his mother, Joy Finzi, to establish the Finzi Trust and sustain Gerald Finzi's reputation.
Christopher Finzi married Hilary du Pré, a flautist, and they have raised four children in a dilapidated farmhouse. Her sister, the cellist Jacqueline du Pre, was part of the household during the 1970s; his wife's memoirs and the film Hilary and Jackie have publicized his love affair (apparently consented to by his wife) with that sister-in-law.
From 1971 to 1997, Finzi was resident conductor of the North Wiltshire Orchestra. He remains particularly well-known as an interpreter of his father's music.Template:UK-bio-stub Template:Musician-stub