Teen conductor Alexander Prior heads to America after orchestras pass on his baton

Musical prodigy: Alexander Prior, at the Barbican aged 14, has a fellowship with Seattle Symphony Orchestra
12 April 2012

He was the conductor nobody wanted among the orchestras of Britain. So now teenage music prodigy Alexander Prior is leaving London to take up an appointment in America after being turned down "everywhere" in England.

Prior, 17, who started playing piano at the age of three, and was composing by the time he was eight, said today orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic did not invite him to apply for a job.

But the Seattle Symphony Orchestra has created a prestigious six-month fellowship to take advantage of the conductor's talent, which featured last year in the Channel 4 documentary The World's Greatest Musical Prodigies.

He will leave his family home in St John's Wood for Seattle later this month. The teenager said: "America seems to be much more of a welcoming country. The reaction there to me has been almost absurd — in a good way. It's all very exciting. England always has so much of a bitterness about young musicians.

"American orchestras are the ones offering me the jobs. To me, music is about the search for beauty through suffering, but a lot of the European establishments do not do that. They are preoccupied with looking clever and arty-farty and not enjoying the music they are making."

Alexander was originally a pupil at University College School, in Hampstead. His parents Peter, who runs a renewable energy business, and Elena, a former actress, became disillusioned with the quality of musical education in Britain and took him to study composition and conducting at the St Petersburg Conservatory in Mrs Prior's native Russia.

After his return, Mrs Prior feels let down by the British response to her son's talent. "He applied everywhere in England and nobody wanted him.
"He applied in America and everyone wanted him.
After people found out that he had got the appointment in America, orchestras here started ringing," she said.

"I'm very excited for his career, but in a way I'm very sad because he will be leaving his family. But we understand that he needs it."

Roger Wright, controller of BBC Radio 3 and the Proms and former artistic administrator of the Cleveland Orchestra in America, said there was a tremendous amount of support for young artists in Britain, but said: "There are more orchestras in the States and therefore a greater range of opportunities.

I don't think we're less open here. It's also incredibly important for young conductors to go off and see different orchestras."

The UK also has a strong tradition of its conductors rising up through the ranks, he added. They include Edward Gardner, 35, musical director of English National Opera; Robin Ticciati, 26, the new principal conductor of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and Daniel Harding, 34, principal guest conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra.

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