Templeton, Alec (Andrew)
Templeton, Alec (Andrew)
Templeton, Alec (Andrew), blind Welsh-born American pianist and composer; b. Cardiff, July 4, 1909; d. Greenwich, Conn., March 28, 1963. He studied at Worcester Coll. and in London at the Royal Coll. of Music and at the Royal Academy of Music. He was only 12 when he began to appear on the BBC, remaining with it until 1935. He went to the U.S. in 1935 as a member of Jack Hylton’s jazz band; became a naturalized American citizen in 1941. He was extremely successful as a radio pianist, especially with his humorous musical sketches, parodies, etc., such as Bach Goes to Town, Mozart Matriculates, etc. He also wrote some more ambitious works, including Concertino lirico (1942) and Gothic Concerto for Piano and Orch (N.Y., Dec. 19, 1954, composer soloist). With R. Baumel, he publ. A. T/s Music Boxes (N.Y., 1958).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire