Cameron, (George) Basil

views updated

Cameron, (George) Basil

Cameron, (George) Basil, English conductor; b. Reading, Aug. 18, 1884; d. Leominster, June 26, 1975. He studied with Noble in York (1900–1902) and with Joachim (violin) and Bruch (composition) at the Berlin Hochschule fiir Musik (1902–06). After playing violin in the Queen’s Hall Orch. in London, he Germanized his name as Basil Hindenberg and was conductor of the Torquay orch. (1912–16). With the outbreak of World War I in 1914, he deemed it prudent to revert to his real name. After conducting the Hastings orch. (1923–30), he served as co–conductor (with Dobrowen) of the San Francisco Sym. Orch. (1931–34). From 1932 to 1938 he was conductor of the Seattle Sym. Orch. He then returned to England and conducted at the London Promenade Concerts. After World War II, he appeared as a guest conductor in England and on the Continent. In 1957 he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

More From encyclopedia.com