John Farnsworth Hall

John Farnsworth Hall (8 December 1899 – 15 June 1987[1]) was an Australian conductor and violinist.

John Farnsworth Hall was born in Petersham, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney, in 1899. He was an original violin student at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music (then known as the NSW State Conservatorium), under its founding director Henri Verbrugghen.[1] He was appointed deputy leader of the New South Wales State Orchestra.[1]

He was a member of the Farmers Trio, a pioneering radio chamber trio, in 1923. The other members were Horace Keats, piano, and John Boatwright, cello.[2]

He went to London to further his career, and played under various notable conductors. He harboured an ambition to be a conductor himself, and while on tour in New Zealand, he was given an opportunity to conduct when Henri Verbrugghen fell ill.[1]

He then became leader and deputy conductor of the new Sydney Symphony Orchestra (SSO). In 1946, Hall conducted the first performance by the SSO of Mozart's Flute Concerto No. 2 in D (an arrangement of his Oboe Concerto in C, K. 314), with Neville Amadio as soloist.[3]

In 1947 he was appointed the first resident conductor of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra (QSO).[4][5] During his time there, he introduced the symphonies of Ralph Vaughan Williams to Queensland concert-goers.[6] He made a classic recording of Alfred Hill's piece for narrator and orchestra, Green Water, with the QSO and the speaker Peter Munro in 1954.[7]

From 1954 he was conductor in residence of the West Australian Symphony Orchestra.[8][9][10][11]

He retired from conducting in 1965, and died in 1987, aged 87. He was survived by his third wife and a daughter, both named Deirdre.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Sydney Morning Herald, Obituary, 16 June 1987. Retrieved 2 March 2016
  2. ↑ Horace Keats: Early Broadcasting Days Archived November 22, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
  3. ↑ Sydney Symphony: Viennese Classics
  4. ↑ "History of ABC Orchestras and Bands" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-06-17.
  5. ↑ Our Queensland Archived July 29, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
  6. ↑ "''Courier-Mail'', 28 September 1954, Dr Robert Dalley-Scarlett, ''John Farnsworth Hall … An Appreciation''". Trove.nla.gov.au. 1954-09-28. Retrieved 2012-06-17.
  7. ↑ Saturdays & Sundays 6:00am - 9:00am with Colin Fox (2012-06-10). "ABC Classic FM Music Listing, 7 April 2012". Abc.net.au. Retrieved 2012-06-17.
  8. ↑ Albany Hall Town Theatre Archived August 5, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
  9. ↑ "Picture Australia". Nla.gov.au. Retrieved 2012-06-17.
  10. ↑ Pope, Brian. "ADB: Lorna Crawford McKean". Adbonline.anu.edu.au. Retrieved 2012-06-17.
  11. ↑ "Arts and Humanities Research Council, Concert Programmes". Concertprogrammes.org.uk. Retrieved 2012-06-17.
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