every two years between 1935 and 1939. The war ended the opera festival: Pollards was used to house refugees and the family supporting the opera, the Howards, experienced losses during World War II. In 1937, she became the first woman to conduct the BBC Symphony Orchestra. The Musical Times wrote in 1952 that "her engagement to conduct the B.B.C. Orchestra (Section E) on 15 April 1936 aroused much attention in the Press and provoked some light controversy." She conducted the Northern Philharmonic Orchestra in 1940 and around that time, also conducted at Oxford. In 1945, she created the Lemare Orchestra. The Lemare Orchestra featured soloists such as Geza Anda, Peter Donohoe, Joan Hammond and Benno Moiseivitsch. Lemare conducted Opera Nova from 1970 to 1984. Iris was keen to encourage local talent and she was especially fond of introducing young people to the world of opera. She knew Ruth Pennyman, who lived at Ormesby Hall, Middlesbrough. She enjoyed her parties, involving lively chatter about the arts, and also visiting the police stables there, offering sugar lumps to the horses, which was indicative of her love of animals. In her later years, she lectured and worked as a judge and examiner. She died in Askham Bryan on 23 April 1997. Her remains were cremated. References Citations Sources External links Papers of Iris Lemare, musician 1902 births 1997 deaths British classical percussionists English classical organists Women organists English conductors (music) Alumni of the Royal College of Music BBC Orchestras BBC people 20th-century organists 20th-century women musicians 20th-century British conductors (music) Women conductors (music)