Basil Cameron
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Basil Cameron (born Basil George Cameron Hindenberg,[1] August 18, 1884 – June 26, 1975) was a British conductor, born in Reading, Berkshire, England. He took up the violin at age 8, and later studied for four years at the Berlin Hochschule.[2]
Cameron began his career on the violin, studying with Joseph Joachim and Leopold Auer. He then became a violinist in the London Symphony. In 1912, he began conducting at the seaside resort of Torquay. He used the name "Basil Hindenberg" because he believed that his audiences would be more impressed by a conductor with a German name. He led festivals of Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss with the Torquay orchestra, which brought him to prominence in the English musical scene.
During World War I, Cameron served in the British army, from November 1915 to August 1918.[2]. He had dropped the name "Hindenberg" professionally in September 1914[1] and took a break from his conducting career. After the war, Cameron led orchestras in many other British resorts. Laudatory reviews by George Bernard Shaw and Percy Grainger increased his renown.
In 1930 he guest-conducted with the San Francisco Symphony, and was later invited to become its music director, where from 1930 and 1932 he served as joint music director with Issay Dobrowen. In 1932 he moved to the Seattle Symphony.
In 1938, he returned to England, where he remained for the rest of his career. In 1940, he joined the conducting staff of the The Proms as an associate conductor to Henry Wood. He was awarded the CBE in 1957.[3]
Cameron was married twice, first to Frances James, and second to Phyllis MacQueen.[1]
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