Neville Marriner, L.A. Chamber Orchestra music director and 'Amadeus' maestro, dies at 92

Neville Marriner, the first music director of the L.A. Chamber Orchestra and the founder of the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields chamber orchestra in London, died Sunday night, the academy said. Millions of moviegoers who may not recognize Marriner's name have nonetheless been touched by his work: He served as music supervisor for the film version of "Amadeus" and conducted the soundtrack, which went on to be one of the bestselling classical recordings of all time. Born April 15,1924, in Lincoln, England, Marriner studied at the Royal College of Music and the Paris Conservatoire. He began his career as a violinist, eventually playing in the London Symphony Orchestra. Later, what started as a group of friends gathering to rehearse in Marriner's living room became the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, a premier chamber ensemble that gave its first performance in its namesake London church in 1959.