McEwen, Sir John (Blackwood)

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McEwen, Sir John (Blackwood)

McEwen, Sir John (Blackwood) , Scottish composer and pedagogue; b. Hawick, April 13, 1868; d. London, June 14, 1948. He studied at Glasgow Univ. (M.A., 1888) and at the Royal Academy of Music in London with Corder, Matthay, and Prout. He taught piano in Glasgow (1895–98) and composition at the Royal Academy of Music in London (1898–1936); in 1924 he succeeded Alexander Mackenzie as principal, retiring in 1936. He was knighted in 1931.

Works

orch. : 2 syms.: No. 1 (1892–98) and No. 2, Solway (1911); 4 suites (1893, 1935, 1935, 1941); Viola Concerto (1901). chamber: 17 string quartets (1893–1947); 7 violin sonatas (1913–39); 7 Bagatelles “Nugae” for Strings (1912); Scottish Rhapsody for Violin and Piano (1915); Viola Sonata (1930); piano pieces. vocal: Songs.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire