Malcolm Arnold

Born: Northampton, England.
Trained/Educated: Royal College of Music, studying trumpet with Ernest Hall and composition with Gordon Jacob.
Companies/Organisations: London Philharmonic Orchestra, second trumpet (1941 – 1944), principal trumpet (1946 – 1948).
Previous Work: As Composer: Three Shanties for Wind Quintet Op 4 (1942), Larch Trees Op 3 (1943), Beckus the Dandipratt Op 5 (1943), Variations ona a Ukranian Folk Song for Piano Op 9 (1944), Concerto No 1 for Horn and Orchestra (1945), Symphony for Strings Op 13 (1946), Concerto for Clarinet and Strings (1948) and The Smoke (1948). Other works including: Cornish Dances, Sixth Symphony, The Padstow Lifeboat, Viola Concerto and the Concerto for Two Pianos (3 hands), were composed while he was in Cornwall. After moving to Dublin, he composed: the Seventh Symphony, Clarinet Concerto No 2, and the Fantasy on a Theme of John Field. On his return to England in 1977 he completed: the Symphony for Brass, Trumpet Concerto and the Eighth Symphony. In late 1985 he was inspired by Michela Petri to write a Fantasy for Recorder, which was followed by the Irish Dances, Ninth Symphony, Fantasy for Cello and Cello Concerto, written for Julian Lloyd Webber.
Personal: In 1948 he was awarded a Mendelssohn Scholarship by the Royal College of Music. He was made a Bard of the Cornish Gorseth in 1968 and was awarded the CBE two years later. In 1986 he received the Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Services to British Music, in 1987 the Wavendon All Music Award for Outstanding Services to British Music, in 1989 a Doctorate of Music from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio and a Knighthood in 1993. Sir Malcolm was awarded a Fellowship of the British Academy of Songwriters and Composers in October 2001. In 2004 Sir Malcolm was honoured with the Incorporated Society of Musician’s Distinguished Musician Award and on 29th June, 2006, the University of Northampton conferred on him an Honorary Doctorate.