Biography

Raymond Leppard was born on August 11, 1927 in London, England, UK. He was an actor and composer, known for Morgan (2016), La Femme Nikita (1990) and Mona Lisa Smile (2003). He was married to John Bloom. He died on October 22, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.

Musical Director from the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, 1987-2001.

He attended Trinity College, Cambridge, on a choral scholarship, leaving to join the Royal Air Force for his military service. He returned to Trinity, where he studied harpsichord and viola and also took up conducting.

He made some 200 recordings on such labels as EMI, Decca, and CBS.

He was a conductor and harpsichordist who championed 16th and 17th century Italian masterpieces by composers such as Claudio Monteverdi. He also composed contemporary works for both stage and screen. He became known for his performances of Baroque and Classical-era music, often conducting, in period style, from the harpsichord.

He was made a Commander of the British Empire in 1983.