Barry Wordsworth (born 20 February 1948, Worcester Park, Surrey, England) is a British conductor. From 1989 to 2006, Wordsworth was principal conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra, and now holds the title of conductor laureate. From 1990 to 1995, Wordsworth was music director of the Royal Ballet, Covent Garden. He began his second tenure in that post in 2007. Since 1989, he is the principal conductor of the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra. In March 2007 at Brighton, Wordsworth caused controversy when he refused to conduct Andrew Gant's new composition A British Symphony the day of the scheduled premiere.[1] He was music director of Birmingham Royal Ballet from 2005 to 2008.