Sir Ian Bruce Hope Hunter (2 April 19195 September 2003) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

impresario An impresario (from Italian ''impresa'', 'an enterprise or undertaking') is a person who organizes and often finances concerts, Play (theatre), plays, or operas, performing a role in stage arts that is similar to that of a film producer, film or ...

of classical music. Known as 'Mr. Festival' to many in the arts world, Hunter was one of the most important figures in a post-

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

cultural renaissance in the United Kingdom. From the mid-1950s, following the death of

Harold Holt Harold Edward Holt (5 August 190817 December 1967) was an Australian politician and lawyer who served as the 17th prime minister of Australia from 1966 until Disappearance of Harold Holt, his disappearance and presumed death in 1967. He held o ...

, he headed the

music management A talent manager (also known as an artist manager, band manager, or music manager) is an individual who guides the professional career of artists within the entertainment industry. The responsibility of a talent manager is to oversee the day- ...

agency Harold Holt Ltd, which joined with Lies Askonas Ltd in the late 1990s to form Askonas Holt.

Biography

Born in

Hadley Wood Hadley Wood is suburb of north London, close to the border with Hertfordshire. It is part of the London Borough of Enfield, north of Charing Cross, close to Chipping Barnet. History The area in which Hadley Wood is situated is part of ...

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, former county in South East England, now mainly within Greater London. Its boundaries largely followed three rivers: the River Thames, Thames in the south, the River Lea, Le ...

, Hunter began his career in 1947, as assistant to artistic director

Rudolf Bing Sir Rudolf Bing, KBE (January 9, 1902 – September 2, 1997) was an Austrian-born British opera impresario who worked in Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States, including as General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City f ...

at the very first

Edinburgh Festival __NOTOC__ This is a list of Arts festival, arts and cultural festivals regularly taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland. The city has become known for its festivals since the establishment in 1947 of the Edinburgh International Festival and the ...

. He succeeded Bing as the festival's director in 1950, remaining in the position through 1955. He served as the director of numerous other festivals, including the Bath Festival from 1948 to 1968, the City of London Festival from 1962 to 1980, the Brighton Festival from 1967 to 1983, and festivals in Windsor and Hong Kong. "Festivals," he once said, "are like sudden

fireworks Fireworks are Explosive, low explosive Pyrotechnics, pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a large numbe ...

in a dark sky."

"Characteristic of Hunter's capacity for thinking big was the
Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...
Arts Festival of 1965. In preparing it he visited 23 countries, and it was held simultaneously, over two weeks, in London, Glasgow,
Cardiff Cardiff (; ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of in and forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area officially known as the City and County of Ca ...
and
Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
. Dance was strongly featured:
Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...
, African and
Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Associated with India * of or related to India ** Indian people ** Indian diaspora ** Languages of India ** Indian English, a dialect of the English language ** Indian cuisine Associated with indigenous peoples o ...
groups rubbed friendly shoulders with classical companies from Australia and Canada.
Jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
jostled with the classics.
Menuhin Menuhin or Menuchin is the surname of: *Hephzibah Menuhin (1920–1981), American-Jewish concert pianist * Joel Ryce-Menuhin (1933–1998), Jungian psychologist * Linda Menuhin (born 1950), Iraqi-born Israeli journalist, editor, and blogger ...
shared a platform with
Ravi Shankar Ravi Shankar (; born Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury, sometimes spelled as Rabindra Shankar Chowdhury; 7 April 1920 – 11 December 2012) was an Indian sitar, sitarist and composer. A sitar virtuoso, he became the world's best-known expert of Hin ...
. Balloons were released and fireworks rocketed."

Hunter was also a talent manager, celebrated as chairman of Harold Holt Ltd (now Askonas Holt Ltd) from 1953 to 1988. He died in

Balcombe, West Sussex Balcombe is a village and civil parish in the Mid Sussex District of West Sussex, England. It lies south of London, north of Brighton, and east-northeast of the county town of Chichester. Nearby towns include Crawley to the northwest and Ha ...

at the age of 84.

References

1919 births 2003 deaths British impresarios Arts managers Talent managers Music promoters 20th-century British businesspeople Knights Bachelor Members of the Order of the British Empire People from Hadley Wood People from Balcombe, West Sussex {{UK-music-bio-stub