Joseph Vandernoot

Joseph Vandernoot (18 October 1914 – 7 June 1999) was a British conductor who worked with many orchestras and opera companies, and was one of the earliest conductors of opera at the Holland Park open-air theatre[1] in London.

After studying at Guildhall School of Music and the Royal College of Music, Vandernoot joined the Royal Artillery and worked for some time for ENSA.[1]

For five years Vandernoot was the Musical Director of Ballet Rambert. He also conducted the Orchestre National de Monte Carlo and the Valencia Provincial Orchestra.[1]

Vandernoot was the musical director of the Fulham Municipal Orchestra for nearly 30 years, and of the Hammersmith Municipal Opera, the first municipal opera company in Great Britain.[2][3] With these two ensembles he gave the UK premiere of Puccini's opera Edgar (1905 version) in Fulham Town Hall in 1967.[4][5] In 1973 he recorded Sullivan's Ivanhoe with the Beaufort Opera, and the recording was released by the "Rare Recorded Editions" and "Legends" labels.[6] He founded the Opera Lirica which performed at the Holland Park open-air theatre from 1987, and also founded the Kew Sinfonia.[1]