WARWICK BRAITHWAITE

Grey River Argus, 28 February 1947, Page 2

WARWICK BRAITHWAITE

Warwick Braithwaite was born in Dunedin in 1898, and went to England during the First World War, where he won a scholraship to the Royal Academy of Music. After three years as a student, he joined a touring opera company, first as chorusmaster, and later as conductoi - . After a year with the British National Opera Company he was appointed by the BBC as Musical Director of its Cardiff station, and while there he conducted the Cardiff Musical Society. When the National Orchestra of Wales was founded in 1927, with the support of the BBC, Braithwaite became its conductor. In 1931 he joined the Sadler’s Wells ’Company as opera conductor, and stayed with them'till 1940. In that year he was appointed conductor of the Scottish Orchestra. During the latter’s 1943-44 season he conducted 132 major symphony concerts and 18 children’s concerts. Shortly before the outbreak of war in 1939 he completed an opera, “Penedragon.” He has also written four overtures, a string quartet and a Smyphony in E. While in New Zealand Mr Braithwaite will be a guest conductor of the National Orchestra of the New Zealand Broadcasting Service. Vivid little close-ups of his busy life in Britain, are revealed in a letter to his sister. He says: “I have been busy conducting in Lancashire and Yorkshire, as well as darting back to London for BBC broadcasts and gramophone recording sessions. I was in Bolton last night conducting opera, and was up at 6.30 this morning and travelled to London (300 miles), and rehearsed and conducted the BBC Orchestra. To-morrow I do a recording session, and on the following day travel back to Bolton to conduct another opera.” ./ Mr Braithwaite, who expects to arrive in New Zealand in May, will also conduct in Australia before returning to England.