June Megennis (also known as June Hall) spent over forty years at the heart of some of Europe’s pre-eminent operatic and musical organisations, including The London Opera Centre, the Royal Opera House, the London Symphony Orchestra, the European Community Youth Orchestra, JHS International Marketing and the Chamber Orchestra Europe, from its inception, in 1981, to her retirement as its General Manager in 2006.
Her fascinating career crossed the paths of many respected conductors, musicians, vocalists and other well-known personalities from the world of Classical Music. June shares many first-hand anecdotes from behind the scenes. Featured people include: Malvina Major, Kiri te Kanawa, Gennadi Rozhdestvensky, Leonard Bernstein, Carlos Kleiber, Sir Edward Heath, Andre Previn, Wilson Strutte, Claudio Abbado, Luciano Pavarotti, Alexander Schneider, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Paavo Berglund, Lorin Maazel, Sir Georg Solti, Sir Colin Davis, Sir Roger Norrington, Michael Tilson-Thomas, Sir Andras Schiff, Sir Bernard Haitink, Martha Argerich, Don Alfonso Aijón and Peter and Victoria Readman.
In 2001, she won a European Woman of Achievement Award in the Arts and Media section. Having retired in 2006, she now resides in Cyprus and continues to enjoy a life filled with music.
admin –
I first met June when I joined the London Symphony Orchestra’s administration team in the 70’s. She is professional and very smart with an incredible knowledge of classical music. We became life-long friends – a friendship filled with laughter and occasional sadness.
This book is a candid memoir of a career devoted to music. It’s filled with anecdotes that are sometimes funny, sometimes sad but always told with impeccable taste and knowledge of the world of music. I am very lucky and proud to be able to call June my great friend.
Wilson Strutte, Author ‘Tchaikovsky, His Life & Times’