Tributes paid to former Hallé conductor

James Loughran died peacefully at the age of 92, his family said

Tributes have been paid following the death of a former conductor of one of Britain's oldest symphony orchestras.

Scottish conductor James Loughran, who has died at the age of 92, led Manchester's Hallé Orchestra between 1971 and 1983.

Paying tribute, his son said he had touched the lives of many with "his exceptional musicianship".

Former colleagues at the Hallé said many concertgoers would look back on his time with the orchestra with "great affection".

James Loughran led the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, before taking up the mantle at the Hallé in 1971

Loughran was appointed principal conductor of the Hallé in 1971, following in the footsteps of the much-lauded Sir John Barbirolli.

His tenure lasted more than a decade, amassing what the orchestra described as a an "impressive discography" of recordings, including the complete Brahms Symphonies.

He was also credited with expanding the Hallé’s touring schedule in Europe, including Norway and Sweden, and taking the orchestra to Hong Kong and Australia for the first time.

As the principal conductor of the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra (1979-83), he became the first British conductor to be appointed to lead a major German orchestra.

Throughout a long and illustrious career, he was an active guest conductor, both at home in the UK and around the world, appearing alongside the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, the Japan Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Philharmonic - to name a few.

His son Angus Loughran said his father would be "deeply missed", but his legacy would "live on through his recordings and the many lives he touched through his exceptional musicianship".