Alan Rawsthorne

Born in Haslingden, Lancashire, Alan Rawsthorne was a British Composer that lived from 1905 to 1971. Alan began his studies at the Royal Manchester College of Music in 1925, his teachers including Carl Fuchs for the cello and Frank Merrick CBE, the piano. On graduating in 1930, he pursued the piano further with training in Poland under Egon Petri, also journeying to Berlin to develop his skills there. In 1932, Rawsthorne became pianist and teacher at Dartington Hall, Devon, becoming composer-in-residence for the School of Dance and Mime. His career shifted significantly when he left Devon for London in 1934, becoming a freelance composer. Public success came in 1938 with his Theme and Variations for Two Violins being played at the International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM) Festival, London. From this point, his work blossomed, as Alan's Symphonic Studies for orchestra was performed in Warsaw. Other works that achieved success for Rawsthorne include a viola sonata (1937), an oboe concerto (1947), and an Elegy for guitar (1971), with there being multiple others, particularly in piano and string. He also wrote film scores through the 40s and 50s, with his most notable score being for the British war film The Cruel Sea (1953).