Thomas Beecham
Conductor
1879 – 1961
Who was Thomas Beecham?
Sir Thomas Beecham, Bt, CH was an English conductor and impresario best known for his association with the London Philharmonic and the Royal Philharmonic orchestras. He was also closely associated with the Liverpool Philharmonic and Hallé orchestras. From the early 20th century until his death, Beecham was a major influence on the musical life of Britain and, according to the BBC, was Britain's first international conductor.
Born to a rich industrial family, Beecham began his career as a conductor in 1899. He used his access to the family fortune to finance opera from the 1910s until the start of the Second World War, staging seasons at Covent Garden, Drury Lane and His Majesty's Theatre with international stars, his own orchestra and a wide repertoire. Among the works he introduced to England were Richard Strauss's Elektra, Salome and Der Rosenkavalier and three operas by Frederick Delius.
Together with his younger colleague Malcolm Sargent, Beecham founded the London Philharmonic, and he conducted its first performance at the Queen's Hall in 1932.
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- Born
- Apr 29, 1879
St Helens - Also known as
- Бичем, Томас
- תומס ביצ'ם
- Nationality
- England
- Profession
- Education
- Wadham College, Oxford
- Rossall School
(1892 - 1897)
- Lived in
- St Helens
- Died
- Mar 8, 1961
London
Submitted
on July 23, 2013
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"Thomas Beecham." Biographies.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 17 Apr. 2024. <https://www.biographies.net/people/en/thomas_beecham>.
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