Antonio Brosa facts for kids
Antonio Brosa (born June 27, 1894 – died March 23, 1979) was a very talented Spanish violinist. He was known for his amazing performances and for helping new music come to life.
Contents
Who Was Antonio Brosa?
Antonio Brosa was born in a town called La Canonja in Catalonia, Spain. He started learning to play the violin when he was just four years old! His father was his first teacher. Antonio gave his first public concert in Barcelona when he was only 10.
Early Musical Journey
As he grew older, Antonio continued his music studies. He learned from a famous teacher named Mathieu Crickboom in Brussels. Antonio made his first big debut in London in 1919 when he was 25. He then toured the United States for the first time in 1930.
Premiering New Music
Antonio Brosa was a special violinist because he often played new pieces of music for the very first time. These are called "premieres." He was the first to perform many important violin concertos (long musical pieces for violin and orchestra).
- He played the first performance of Elizabeth Poston's Violin Sonata on the BBC in 1928.
- He also premiered Haydn Wood's Violin Concerto in 1933 with the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
- In 1934, he played the first performance of Arthur Benjamin's Violin Concerto.
Working with Famous Composers
Antonio Brosa worked closely with some of the most important composers of his time. In 1938, a composer named William Walton asked Antonio to review his Violin Concerto and suggest improvements.
He also became great friends with Benjamin Britten, another famous composer. Antonio played Britten's Suite for Violin and Piano at a music festival in Barcelona in 1936. Britten even asked Antonio for advice on his own Violin Concerto. Antonio Brosa gave the very first performance of Britten's Violin Concerto at Carnegie Hall in New York in 1940. For this concert, he played on his special 'Vesuvius' Stradivarius violin, which was made in 1727! This performance helped him become a well-known international soloist.
Antonio also premiered works by other composers, including:
- Helen Perkin's Spring Rhapsody in 1937.
- Denis ApIvor's Violin Sonata in 1947.
- Roberto Gerhard's Violin Concerto in 1950.
- Stanley Bate's Violin Concerto No. 3 in 1953.
A Teacher and Quartet Leader
Besides performing, Antonio Brosa also taught violin at the Royal College of Music. He helped many young musicians learn to play.
Leading String Quartets
Antonio was also the leader of the Brosa String Quartet, which he started in 1924. A string quartet is a group of four musicians: two violinists, a violist, and a cellist. His quartet played their first concert in the US in 1930. He later stopped this quartet in 1939. He also led the Pro Arte Quartet in the US. In the UK, he often performed with the pianist Kathleen Long. Antonio was very smart and could speak five different languages!
His Famous Violin
Antonio Brosa's special 'Vesuvius' Stradivari violin was a very valuable instrument. Stradivari violins are famous for their beautiful sound. After Antonio, this violin was owned by another concert violinist named Remo Lauricella.
Antonio Brosa passed away in Barcelona in 1979, at the age of 84. He left behind a legacy as a brilliant violinist and a champion of new music.
See also
In Spanish: Antonio Brosa para niños
