Ralph Nicholson

Born in London, 15 June 1907

Ralph Nicholson received his advanced musical training at Eastbourne College and the Royal College of Music in London. He spent most of his career as a professional violinist, playing with the London Symphony Orchestra for twenty-five years and teaching as a professor of violin at the Royal College of Music for fourteen years. Nicholson was also active as a conductor for both instrumental and choral ensembles. He spent thirty years as conductor and music director of the Guilford Symphony Orchestra.

Nicholson's compositional activity featured works for singers and wind instrumentalists-the latter works usually written for his colleagues in the LSO. The roster of dedicatees for these pieces reads as a veritable Who's Who of British wind players: Archie Camden, Nicholas Daniel. Clive Evans, Leon Goosens, Val Kennedy, and Gervase de Peyer.