Kenneth Alwyn

Kenneth Alwyn (born 28 July 1925, London) is a British orchestral conductor. He is principally known for his performances and recordings of film and ballet music. He is a former principal conductor at the Royal Ballet, Covent Garden.

Alwyn was born "'Kenneth Alwyn Wetherell". His recording career dates to 1958, when he recorded the first stereo version of Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture" for Decca Records with the London Symphony Orchestra and the Band of the Grenadier Guards. The recording famously featured slowed-down gunshots instead of cannon fire. It remained a mainstay of the classical catalogue for almost forty years, although has yet to reappear on CD (except Japan).

Alwyn has elsewhere specialised in British music, giving the Japanese premiere of Gustav Holst's "The Planets suite" and recording Samuel Coleridge Taylor's "Hiawatha" for Decca with the Welsh National Opera.

Alwyn has also appeared and recorded with the London Philharmonic, the Philharmonia Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, the Royal Ballet Sinfonia and the City of Prague Philharmonic.

Alwyn has also composed several pieces for orchestra. His piece "Fighter Command 1940" is a standard RAF Ceremonial march.

External links

* [http://www.impulse-music.co.uk/kenneth-alwyn.htm Brief Biography]