Arnold - Malcolm

From Music-Web Encyclopedia

Sir Malcolm Arnold was born in Northampton on 21 October 1921.

After study at the Royal College of Music, London, he joined the London Philharmonic Orchestra, becoming principal trumpet in 1942.

In 1948, he won the Mendelssohn Scholarship and left the orchestra to spend a year in Italy.

On his return, he quickly built up a reputation as a fluent and versatile composer and a brilliant orchestrator, receiving numerous prestigious commissions.

Since then, he has written music of every type and for every sort of ensemble; for professionals and amateurs; for theatre, concert hall and film (over 80 scores including The Bridge on the River Kwai which won him an Oscar and Inn of the Sixth Happiness which brought an Ivor Novello award).

In 1969, he was made a Bard of the Cornish Gorseth, and was awarded the C.B.E. in 1970.

He holds Honorary Doctorates of Music from Exeter University, Durham University and Leicester University; he was made a Fellow of the Royal College of Music in 1983 and is an honorary R.A.M.

In 1986 (his 65th year) he received the Ivor Novello Award for "Outstanding Services to British Music" and received a knighthood in the New Year Honours List, 1993, for his services to music.