English National Opera is saddened to hear that Sir Peter Moores passed away last week.

Our relationship with Sir Peter began in 1973 when he initiated, and generously supported, a recording of Siegfried as the first instalment in the recording of Reginald Goodall conducting Wagner’s The Ring of the Nibelung – an ENO achievement Sir Peter was determined to capture for posterity.

Since that first recording, Sir Peter and his Foundation have provided generous and loyal support to ENO.

Only the most enlightened of donors support challenging and adventurous new work, and we are grateful to have received Sir Peter’s support for a wide variety of productions – ranging from Monteverdi’s The Return of Ulysses and Janáček’s The Makropulous Case to Berg’s Wozzeck and Verdi’s Ernani. His most recent support was for Berlioz’s Benvenuto Cellini (pictured above), directed by Terry Gilliam as part of the Foundation’s Swansong Project.

Together with Chandos Records, the Peter Moores Foundation has issued 62 operas in English – the world’s largest catalogue of opera recordings in English translation.  Collaborations with ENO include 19 operas and many solo recital discs with recordings of singers Janet Baker, Cheryl Barker, Yvonne Kenny, Valerie Masterson, John Tomlinson, Alan Opie, Alastair Miles, Andrew Shore and conductors Reginald Goodall, Charles Mackerras, Paul Daniel, Mark Elder and Edward Gardner. These recordings are a unique record of ENO’s artistic legacy and have made our work available to an international audience beyond the London Coliseum.

The Peter Moores Foundation also invested in the training and support of over 200 emerging young artists through PMF Scholarships. Several PMF Scholars have sung principal roles at ENO and progressed to careers on the international opera stage, including Barry Banks, Alice Coote, Simon Keenlyside, Christine Rice, Amanda Roocroft and Toby Spence.

Sir Peter will be remembered at ENO for his philanthropic generosity towards work that would not otherwise have been performed, his support for young singers, and his advice and guidance to every ENO Artistic Director since 1973.

He will be greatly missed.