British conductor Sir Andrew Davis dies aged 80: Much-loved maestro who led the Last Night of the Proms a dozen times passes away

Sir Andrew Davis has died, aged 80, his agent has confirmed after reportedly battling with leukemia. 

The much-loved British conductor throughout his life held the honour of being the chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra and musical director of Glyndebourne Festival Opera.

Known for his full beard and bow tie, Sir Andrew led the Last Night of the Proms on a number of occasions while he held the prime BBC post in the 90s.

Sir Andrew was conducting the proms in 1997 just two weeks after the death of Princess Diana, as well as Mother Teresa and Hungarian-British conductor Sir Georg Solti. 

Recalling the solemn occasion, he said: I spoke of the remarkable legacy each had left, and of our gratitude. Many people wrote to say that I had helped them come to terms with the tragedy of Diana’s death.'

Tributes have flooded in today following the announcement of the beloved conductor's death.

Fellow conductor Michael Seal said: 'RIP Sir Andrew Davis - I never had the fortune to meet him in person but did spend a lovely couple of hours interviewing him for my podcast. 

'A lovelier person you couldn’t wish to meet, humble & warm. He’ll be sorely missed - a great conductor & musician as well as a lovely human.'

Paying tribute to the conductor, the Royal Opera House wrote on X: 'We are saddened to hear of the death of conductor Sir Andrew Davis. 

'In a career spanning over 5 decades, he was the artistic leader of several of the world's most distinguished opera and symphonic institutions including BBC Symphony Orchestra & Chorus and Glyndebourne.

'He made his Royal Opera debut in 1983 conducting Der Rosenkavalier and last conducted Capriccio (in concert) in 2013. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this sad time.'

Sir Andrew was in Hertfordshire on February 2 1994 being the eldest of four children.

His father Robert had sung in the local church while his mother Florence had played piano as a child, however, Sir Andrew described his family as 'not especially musical'.

After retiring from the BBC in 2000, Sir Andrew moved to the United States to live in Chicago with his third wife. 

According to classical music website, Slipped Disk, Sir Andrew was diagnosed with cancer last year, with his leukemia turning acute two months ago. He died in Chicago yesterday. 

More follows.