In Memoriam: Brian Large

The IMZ mourns the passing of Brian Large, a true pioneer in music films and a visionary whose work brought the performing arts to screens in hundreds of productions throughout his remarkable career.

A recipient of many accolades, including the very first EBU-IMZ Outstanding Achievement Award, Large started his career at BBC Two at its founding, as music and opera director. Later, in 1970, he became the chief opera producer at Royal Ballet and Opera, where he continued directing even after he left the BBC in 1980.

That same year, he started directing for the Met in New York with Mahagonny and Un Ballo in Maschera, after which he went on to direct over 70 other productions for the Met throughout his career. Large famously directed 19 New Year's Day concerts from Vienna, the Boulez-Chéreau Ring Cycle from Bayreuth, Horowitz in Moscow, and multiple operas from Covent Garden, La Scala, the Mariinsky Theatre and many major houses around the world. The standout recording of his career perhaps goes to the first performance of the Three Tenors on 7 July 1990, at Rome's Baths of Caracalla, which he later described as "...a monster which could not be tamed", alluding to its unmatched magnitude and impact.

More than just prolific, Large revolutionised the recording of performing arts by focusing on the "at home" experience and bringing a sense of intimacy to his work. His contribution to the audiovisual performing arts is unparalleled.

Our thoughts are with his husband, Jack Mastroianni, his family, friends, and all who had the privilege of knowing and working with him.

A review of his 2025 autobiography, At Large: Behind the Camera with Brian Large, is available in the IMZ Magazine.