Campoli, Alfredo
Campoli, Alfredo
Campoli, Alfredo, Italian-born English violinist; b. Rome, Oct. 20, 1906; d. London, March 27, 1991. He was a pupil of his father, a prof, at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome, and then settled in England while still a child. After making his London debut at the age of ten, he toured throughout England, receiving the gold medal at the London Music Festival in 1919. In 1938 he made his first appearance at the London Promenade Concerts. He also was active with his own orch., which featured lighter works. From 1945 he pursued a career as a violin virtuoso, making his U.S. debut in N.Y. in 1953. In subsequent years, he toured the globe. He was admired for his finely wrought interpretations of the standard repertory, but he also promoted 20th century English works, including those by Elgar and Bliss.
Bibliography
D. Tunley, The Bel Canto Violin: The Life and Times of A. C. 1906–1991 (London, 1999).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire