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Sir Malcolm Henry Arnold CBE (21 October 1921 [ 1 ] – 23 September 2006) was an English composer. His works feature music in many genres, including a cycle of nine symphonies, numerous concertos, concert works, chamber music, choral music and music for brass band and wind band.
Nov 26, 2021 · The composer Malcolm Arnold was prodigiously productive, and won an Academy Award for his “Bridge on the River Kwai” score, but was plagued by mental illness. Credit... PA Images, via Getty Images
Malcolm Arnold fought against alcoholism, mental illness and the music establishment to create an eclectic body of work that embodied his unique artistic vision.
Sir Malcolm Arnold was one of the leading British composers of the second half of the 20th century. Malcolm Henry Arnold was born on 21st October 1921, in Northampton. The Great-Grandson of William Hawes, the head of all music for the Chapels Royal and St Paul’s.
Fuller biography by Vincent Budd. Born in Northampton on 21st October 1921, Malcolm Arnold studied composition with Gordon Jacob and trumpet with Ernest Hall at the Royal College of Music. In 1941 he joined the trumpet section of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, becoming principal by 1943.
Malcolm Arnold’s music has – and continues to be – performed and recorded extensively by leading orchestras both nationally and internationally. His belief in contemporary music led him to be an influential advocate for Pierre Boulez’s entry into British musical life.
It is no exaggeration to say that Sir Malcolm Arnold’s life, career, and reputation tracked the vicissitudes of twentieth century political and cultural life with a singular intimacy.
