John Amis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John Amis is a broadcaster, classical music critic, and writer. He writes for The Guardian, and was a team member (replacing David Franklin) from 1974 to 1993 on the BBC Radio 4 panel show, My Music, where he was known as the 'Symphony Man'. His own radio show on Radio 3 interviewed musicians such as Isaiah Berlin.[1]
His friends in the music industry included Noel Mewton-Wood and Felix Aprahamian, for whom he wrote a tribute following Aprahamian's death in January 2005.[2]
He began his career working in a bank for five and a half weeks before leaving to earn a living in music. Amis had a number roles, including gramophone record salesman, and orchestra manager (at one point turning pages for Dame Myra Hess[3], before becoming a music critic. Amis' short career as a tenor began with a minor role Herrmann's Moby Dick, and following this made his operatic debut in 1990 as the Emperor in Turandot. [4]
He has written a number of books, on his own Amiscellany label,[5] with titles including My Music in London: 1945-2000. Amis spends much of his time giving talks and one-man shows, after dinner speeches and concert works.[6]
Amis is a patron of the Music Libraries Trust,[7] and vice-president of the Putney Music society.[8]
[edit] References
- ^ http://berlin.wolf.ox.ac.uk/lists/interviews/interviews.htm List of Berlin interviews] (surely you mean Irving Berlin?) from Oxford University. Accessed December 20, 2006.
- ^ Amis' obituary for Felix Aprahamian, The Guardian. Accessed December 20, 2006.
- ^ Celebration of Dame Myra Hess from the National Gallery. Accessed December 20, 2006.
- ^ John Amis biography on easy-speak.com. Accessed December 20, 2006.
- ^ Amiscellany details on amolibros.com. Accessed December 20, 2006.
- ^ Speaker's Agency page on Amis, dated 21 January 2001, accessed via Internet Archive 20 December 2006]].
- ^ Music Libraries Trust list of patrons. Accessed December 20, 2006.
- ^ Putney Music society. Accessed December 20, 2006.
