Remembering Benjamin Luxon

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra family joins the music world in mourning the loss of British baritone Benjamin Luxon. He died on July 25, 2024, at the age of 87.

Born on March 24, 1937, in Redruth, Cornwall, Luxon appeared with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on notable occasions, including the world premiere of Alan Stout’s George Lieder, as well as in the title roles in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin and Berg’s Wozzeck. 

A complete list of Luxon’s appearances with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra is below.

December 14, 15, and 16, 1972, Orchestra Hall
STOUT George Lieder, Poems from Das neue Reich (world premiere)
Benjamin Luxon, baritone
Sir Georg Solti, conductor

June 27, 1980, Ravinia Festival
TCHAIKOVSKY Eugene Onegin
Teresa Zylis-Gara, soprano
Isola Jones, mezzo-soprano
Jean Kraft, mezzo-soprano
Batyah Godfrey, contralto
Misha Raitzin, tenor
Andrea Velis, tenor
Jeffrey Wiggins, tenor
Benjamin Luxon, baritone
John Stott, baritone
John Cheek, bass-baritone
Daniel McConnell, bass
Chicago Symphony Chorus
Margaret Hillis, director
James N. Winfield, director
James Levine, conductor

May 24, 25, and 27, 1984, Orchestra Hall
BERG Wozzeck, Op. 7
Hildegard Behrens, soprano
Sharon Flynn, soprano
Fiona Kimm, mezzo-soprano
Robert Cole, tenor
Philip Langridge, tenor
Jacque Trussel, tenor
Gerhard Unger, tenor
Richard Cohn, baritone
Paul Kreider, baritone
Benjamin Luxon, baritone
Alexander Malta, bass
Chicago Symphony Chorus
Margaret Hillis, director
James N. Winfield, director
Glen Ellyn Children’s Chorus
Doreen Rao, director
Claudio Abbado, conductor

February 13, 14, and 16, 1986, Orchestra Hall
BRITTEN War Requiem, Op. 66
Margaret Marshall, soprano
John Aler, tenor
Benjamin Luxon, baritone
Chicago Symphony Chorus
Margaret Hillis, director
Glen Ellyn Children’s Chorus
Doreen Rao, director
Leonard Slatkin, conductor

Numerous tributes have been posted online, including OperaWire, Limelight and Cornwall Live, among others.

This article also appears here.