Background
From the age of 7 he was taught by his father and he won an open scholarship to the Royal College of Music, becoming a pupil of Charles Draper.
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Frederick Thurston
Edit ProfileEducation
Royal College of Music.
Career
During the 1920s he played with the orchestra of the Royal Opera House and the British Broadcasting Corporation Wireless Orchestra before becoming principal clarinettist of the newly formed British Broadcasting Corporation Symphony Orchestra. He left the British Broadcasting Corporation Symphony Orchestra in 1946 to concentrate on chamber music He was also principal clarinet of The Philharmonia Orchestra and can be heard on the Toscanini recording of the Brahms Symphonies.
Thurston can also be heard on Volume 1 of Historical Clarinet Recordings on the Victoria Soames Samek"s Clarinet Classics Civil Defense Label.
He gave the first performance of new works, including Arnold Bax"s Clarinet Sonata, Arthur Bliss"s Clarinet Quintet and Gerald Finzi"s Clarinet Concerto. Works dedicated to him include Malcolm Arnold"s Clarinet Concerto Number 1, Iain Hamilton"s Three Nocturnes, Herbert Howells"s Clarinet Sonata, John Ireland"s Fantasy-Sonata, Gordon Jacob"s Clarinet Quintet, Elizabeth Maconchy"s Clarinet Concertino #1 and Alan Rawsthorne"s Clarinet Concerto.
He taught at the Royal College of Music from 1930 to 1953.
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Born
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Died
December 12, 1953 (aged 52) -
Nationality
United Kingdom