The original embrysario has died
RIPChristopher Hunt initiated and consulted for so many festivals and arts companies they had to invent a term for him.
He was variously artistic director of Australia’s Adelaide Festival, Frankfurt’s Alte Oper, Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts in Virginia and PepsiCo Summerfare in New York.
In addition, he worked for Covent Garden, San Francisco Opera, Santa Fe Opera and the Bastille Opera and as a consultant with the National Endowment for the Arts.
Christopher died yesterday in France of, he wanted people to know, ‘various accumulated maladies’.
Very sad news! So many lovely memories of working with him at the San Francisco Opera in the late 70s, visiting him at Indiana University in Bloomington, then in France …
Christopher was an extraordinary force in the music business. In 1973 when he inexplicably folded his agency he represented some of the most extraordinary artists of their time, Robert Lloyd, Iliana Cotrobus, Richard VanAllen,Thomas Allen, Jo Barstow, Margret Price , Lillian Watson and many more. He had an extraordinary ear for talent. In his subsequent career in San Francisco, Bloomington and many of the festivals he was always forward thinking. At the nascent Pepsico Festival he gave the opportunity to Peter Sellars !! It was a great loss when he retired. It is unlikely we will ever see such a force again.
PepsiCo was life changing. Not only because I got to perform in Peter’s productions, but also because of the fabulous roster of wild wonderful talent Christopher brought to that festival!
How very sad! I first met Christopher way back in 1971 when he still had his artists’ agency, one of the first of the smaller boutique managements. More than 30 years later during a time when he was still trying to recover from the sudden unexpected death of his partner, we spent a week in South East Asia with four quite fascinating days exploring Angkor Wat. I had always hoped to visit him after he had retired to France. Sadly that never happened but we still kept in touch. Sincere condolences to his children and loved ones.
I worked for Christopher Hunt, many many years ago in London, in his management company, located in Chelsea. He was an interesting character and represented, amongst other singers, the late Margaret Price… whom I worked with again when she recorded two LPs for RCA Records.