John Amis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Amis
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Amis in 2010
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| Born | John Preston Amis 17 June 1922 Dulwich, London, England |
| Died | 1 August 2013 (aged 91) |
| Occupation | Music critic |
John Preston Amis (born June 17, 1922 – died August 1, 2013) was a British person who worked in music. He was a broadcaster, a classical music critic, and a writer. He often wrote for The Guardian newspaper and appeared on BBC radio and TV shows about music.
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John Amis's Life and Career
John Amis was born in Dulwich, London. His family worked in banking. He was a cousin of the famous writer Kingsley Amis. John went to Dulwich College school, where he became good friends with Donald Swann. When he was a child, he had an illness that made him deaf in his left ear.
He started working in a bank but soon left to work in music. John had many different jobs in music. He sold music records and managed orchestras. At one point, he even turned pages for the famous pianist Myra Hess during her concerts in wartime. He became a music critic in 1946, writing for The Scotsman. For several years, he managed for Sir Thomas Beecham, a well-known conductor. He also worked for the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
Summer School for Musicians
In 1948, William Glock asked John Amis to help run a summer school for musicians. This school was first at Bryanston School and later moved to Dartington in 1953. John was in charge of the school until 1981. During this time, he invited many famous international musicians to teach there. These included Paul Hindemith, Igor Stravinsky, and Sir Michael Tippett.
Singing Career
John Amis also had a short career as a singer. He started singing seriously after 1959. He was told he had the potential to be a "Heldentenor," which is a type of powerful male opera singer. In 1967, he sang the role of Ishmael in a recording of Bernard Herrmann's Moby-Dick. In 1990, he made his first opera appearance as the Emperor in Turandot.
Broadcasting and Writing
From the 1950s, John Amis became a regular voice on BBC Radio's music programs. From 1961, he also worked on BBC Television. He produced and presented documentaries and hosted a show called Music Now.
He is perhaps best known for being on the BBC Radio 4 show My Music. He was a team member from 1974 to 1994. He also appeared in the TV version of the show. On this show, he showed a surprising talent for whistling very well. He also had his own radio show on Radio 3 where he interviewed musicians and important people like Sir Isaiah Berlin. For many years, he wrote a music column in The Tablet, a well-known Catholic magazine in England.
Friends and Contributions
John Amis had many friends in the music world. These included Noel Mewton-Wood and Felix Aprahamian. He was also very close with Gerard Hoffnung, a famous musician and comedian. John organized many of Hoffnung's concerts until Hoffnung passed away in 1959. At the 1961 Hoffnung Festival, John performed a funny song with Owen Brannigan.
John Amis wrote several books. One of his books was called My Music in London: 1945-2000. He spent a lot of his time giving talks, one-man shows, and speeches. John was a supporter of the Music Libraries Trust and the Tait Memorial Trust. He was also a vice-president of the Putney Music society.
Personal Life
In June 1948, John Amis married Olive Zorian, a violinist who started the Zorian String Quartet. They later divorced in 1955. Olive Zorian passed away in 1965.
In his later years, John Amis was with his partner, Isla Baring OAM. She was the Chairman of the Tait Memorial Trust, where he was a patron. He once said that she brought him his "Indian summer," meaning a happy period later in life.
Death and Legacy
John Amis passed away on August 1, 2013. His partner, Isla Baring, survived him. His funeral was held on August 20, 2013, at the Musicians' Church in London, St Sepulchre-without-Newgate.
To remember him, the Tait Memorial Trust created the John Amis Award. This award helps students who attend the Dartington International Summer School.
See also
In Spanish: John Amis para niños
