Sir John Eliot Gardiner becomes president of Leipzig Bach Archive

16 July 2013, 13:58

Conductor and Bach specialist Sir John Eliot Gardiner has been named as the first ever president of the Bach Archive Foundation in Leipzig.

The role, which has been newly created this year, will see Gardiner's expertise on the composer come to the Bach Archive Foundation through his writings and research. His tenure in the position will begin on January 1st 2014.

Gardiner commented: "It is a special honour for me to have been offered the post of president of the Bach Archive, Leipzig by the Mayor of Leipzig." He added: "Underlying my work as a conductor and writer is the Bach research done in Leipzig."

He continued: "It will be my privilege to support and encourage this research and to blast a trumpet internationally for the work and achievements of the Bach Archive in Leipzig."

The renowned conductor and founder of the Monteverdi Choir and the English Baroque Soloists recently conducted a nine-hour Bach marathon. The Bach Archive Leipzig is an internationally revered centre of Bach research, made up of libraries, research facilities and a museum.