Basil Cameron facts for kids

Basil Cameron, CBE (born August 18, 1884 – died June 26, 1975) was a famous English conductor. A conductor is like the leader of an orchestra, guiding the musicians to play together.

Early Life and Name Change

Basil Cameron was born in Reading, Berkshire, England. His original name was Basil George Cameron Hindenberg. He came from a German immigrant family. When he was 8 years old, he started playing the violin. He later studied music in Berlin, Germany, for four years. He even learned from famous violinists like Joseph Joachim and Leopold Auer. Later, he joined the London Symphony Orchestra.

In 1912, Basil Hindenberg started his career as a conductor in Torquay, a town by the sea. When World War I began in 1914, having a German-sounding name like Hindenberg was not ideal in England. So, he decided to change his professional name to Cameron, which was his third given name.

A Rising Conductor

After changing his name, Cameron became well-known in the English music world. He led special music festivals in Torquay, performing works by famous composers like Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss.

During World War I, Cameron served in the British Army from November 1915 to August 1918. He took a break from conducting during this time. After the war, he led orchestras in many other British towns. Famous writers and musicians, like George Bernard Shaw and Percy Grainger, praised his work, which made him even more famous.

Conducting in America

In 1930, Basil Cameron traveled to the United States. He was a guest conductor for the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. He was later invited to become one of their music directors, sharing the role from 1930 to 1932. In 1932, he moved to lead the Seattle Symphony.

Return to England and Proms

In 1938, Cameron returned to England and stayed there for the rest of his career. In 1940, he joined the conducting team for the famous BBC Proms concerts. He worked as an associate conductor with Sir Henry Wood, who founded the Proms.

Cameron played a very important role in the Proms after World War II. He helped plan many of the concerts, including evenings dedicated to composers like Bach and Brahms. A special moment happened on September 7, 1945. Cameron conducted the first performance in England of Schoenberg's Piano Concerto. A young pianist named Kyla Greenbaum, who was only 23, played the solo part. The audience really enjoyed it, and Greenbaum was praised for her brave performance.

In 1957, Basil Cameron was honored for his contributions to music. He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).

Images for kids

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  Basil Cameron, a famous English conductor.