Ernest Read

Who was Ernest Read?

Ernest Read was an English conductor, organist, and music educator. He had a profound impact on the development of music education within England during the first half of the 20th century, and published several books on music pedagogy. He was named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1956.

Read was born in Guildford. From 1896 to 1906 he studied at the Royal Academy of Music under Tobias Matthay and Henry Joseph Wood. He served as the principal of the Watford School of Music from 1913-1920. He also taught conducting and ear training on the faculty of the RAM from 1919–1950. Two of his notable students were Edwin Bélanger and William Ifor Jones. In 1926 he founded the London Junior Orchestra, one of the earliest youth symphonies in England. That orchestra spawned 4 more youth orchestras in the city of London and 11 affiliate youth orchestras throughout Great Britain.

In 1931 Read founded the Ernest Read Symphony Orchestra, a professional orchestra with a commitment to performing concerts accessible to children as well as adults. He led the orchestra up until his death 34 years later, conducting concerts in schools, concert halls and for the BBC.