JOHN LANCHBERY OBE (1923-2003) is considered to be one of the greatest ballet conductors, known for his music arrangements for ballet. At the start of his career, he was the Conductor of London Metropolitan Ballet and the Sadler's Wells. Later, he was the Principal Conductor of The Royal Ballet (1959-1972), Australian Ballet (1972-1977), and the Musical Director of the American Ballet Theatre (1978-1980). Until 2001, he continued to conduct performances at The Royal Ballet. He has conducted in Paris, Stockholm, Rio De Janeiro, New York, and Houston.
During his career, he also composed music for ballet and film scores, and arranged music by other composers, creating orchestrations for ballet performances. He was the first composer to convert opera and operetta music into ballet. For instance, by creating the ballet The Tales of Hoffman, The Merry Widow and Die Fledermaus. His many works also include musical arrangements for the choreographer Frederick Ashton's ballets The Two Pigeons, A Month in the Country, The Dream, La Fille mal gardée and Kenneth Macmillan's ballet Mayerling. After Rudolph Nureyev's invitation, Lanchbery created new versions for Ludwig Minkus' ballets Don Quixote and La Bayadére.
Lanchbery was the first non-Soviet conductor to receive the Bolshoi Medal. He has also received the Carina Ari Medal and Britain's highest professional award, Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award. In 1990, Lanchbery was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.