Charles Draper (musician)
Charles Draper (23 October 1869 – 21 October 1952) was a British classical clarinetist, sometimes described as the grandfather of English clarinetists.
Draper was born in Odcombe, Somerset. He came from a musical family, his father and brother, having been cellists and clarinetists, respectively. In 1888, he studied with Henry Lazarus, and he won a scholarship to the Royal College of Music where he continued as a student of Lazarus until the latter's retirement. He also studied for a year under Julian Egerton. He premiered Stanford's Clarinet Concerto in 1903 with the Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra. Stanford's Clarinet Sonata was also dedicated to Draper. Draper was also a notable teacher, teaching at the Royal College of Music, Trinity College of Music, and Guildhall School of Music & Drama, and counting Frederick Thurston among his students. His son, Paul Beaumont Draper, was also an accomplished bassoonist. Draper died in Surbiton, aged 82.
References
Weston, Pamela (1971), Clarinet Virtuosi of the Past, 292 pages.