| Born: | June 2, 1857 at Broadheath near Worcester, England |  |
| Died: | February 23, 1934 in Worchester, England | |
| Nationality: | English | |
| Era: | Romantic / Twentieth Century | |
| Main genre: | Orchestral, Choral | |
| Main works: |
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| Brief biography: | Elgar was basically a self-taught violinist, and learned much in his father's music shop. He worked at the age of 16 as a local violinist, organist, bassoonist, conductor as well as a teacher. He first made a reputation with his choral works The Black Knight, King Olaf, The Light of Life, and Caractus. He later wrote The Dream of Geronitus and The Enigma Variations which made him internationally famous, yet he stayed in Worcestershire composing. He later moved with his wife in 1912 to London and achieved very little during the war except his Cello Concerto. Then after his wife's death in 1920 he composed almost nothing, but did spend time working with the new recording technology and became the first composer to conduct his own works in the recording studio. On his deathbed, Elgar forbade anyone to complete the surviving sketches for his last symphony. | |