Gerald Harman Walenn (19 November 1871 – 27 January 1942) was a British violinist and

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" also ...

."14 Jun 1917 – A Distinguished Musician. Mr. Gerald Walenn in Adelaide"
''The Advertiser'' (Adelaide), 14 June 1917, p. 7, Trove.nla.gov.au, accessed 3 January 2018 Walenn was born in London, England. His father,

William Henry Walenn William Henry Walenn (7 January 1828 – 20 September 1896) was born in London and was trained as an engineer at the works of Messrs. Cottam, and received part of his education at University College, London, where he studied mathematics under ...

, was a scientist and worked for many years at the Patent Office in London. His mother, Skene Charlotte (''née'' Barth) was musically trained but did not perform professionally. Nevertheless, her interest in music led to music professions of several of her children:

Herbert Walenn Herbert may refer to: People Individuals * Herbert (musician), a pseudonym of Matthew Herbert Name * Herbert (given name) * Herbert (surname) Places Antarctica * Herbert Mountains, Coats Land * Herbert Sound, Graham Land Australia * Herbert, ...

was a cellist and professor at the

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is the oldest conservatoire in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the first Duke of ...

, Charles Walenn performed with the

D'Oyly Carte Opera Company The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company is a professional British light opera company that, from the 1870s until 1982, staged Gilbert and Sullivan's Savoy operas nearly year-round in the UK and sometimes toured in Europe, North America and elsewhere. Th ...

and

J.C. Williamson James Cassius Williamson (26 August 1845 – 6 July 1913) was an American actor and later Australia's foremost impresario, founding the J. C. Williamson's theatrical and production company. Born in Pennsylvania, Williamson moved with his fami ...

, another brother was an organist, and Gerald and a sister were violinists. Two other children found their way into art professions.Kumm. Elisabeth
"Walenn, Charles R (1867–1948)"
TheatreHeritage.org, 28 July 2017, accessed 3 January 2018 Walenn began playing the violin at the age of 8 under

Kate Chaplin The Chaplin Trio was a trio of musicians: sisters Eleanor Mary (or Nellie) Chaplin, pianist and harpsichordist; Kate Chaplin, violinist and player of the viola d'amore; and Mabel Chaplin, cellist and player of the viola da gamba. They are particular ...

and later studied under John Rutson. He continued his violin studies at the Royal Academy of Music under

Prosper Sainton Prosper Philippe Catherine Sainton (5 June 1813 – 17 October 1890) was a French violinist. Life Sainton was the son of a merchant at Toulouse, where he was born. He entered the Paris Conservatoire under François Antoine Habeneck in 1831 ...

and after his death under

Emile Sauret Emil or Emile may refer to: Literature *'' Emile, or On Education'' (1762), a treatise on education by Jean-Jacques Rousseau * ''Émile'' (novel) (1827), an autobiographical novel based on Émile de Girardin's early life *'' Emil and the Detecti ...

. He made his concert debut at the age of 14 with the ''Ballade for violin and orchestra'', Op.16a by Moritz Moszkowski in the St James's Hall. He later performed the

Mendelssohn Violin Concerto Felix Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64, is his last concerto. Well received at its premiere, it has remained among the most prominent and highly-regarded violin concertos. It holds a central place in the violin repertoire and ha ...

at Osborne House in the presence of

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

. Walenn also made extensive concert tours throughout Great Britain, the United States and Canada. In 1903 he formed the Walenn String Quartet with Herbert Kinze (violin), James Lockyer (viola), and his brother Herbert (cello). In later years the violist position was changed to Lionel Tertis. The quartet was disbanded in 1914 due to the beginning of World War I. The quartet gave many premieres, including the Suite for String Quartet in C major by

Alexander Glazunov Alexander Konstantinovich Glazunov; ger, Glasunow (, 10 August 1865 – 21 March 1936) was a Russian composer, music teacher, and conductor of the late Russian Romantic period. He was director of the Saint Petersburg Conservatory between 1905 ...

which was first performed in the Aeolian Hall on the 25th of June 1907. The composer attended both the rehearsals and the concert. SLNSW 8535 New South Wales State Conservatorium Quartet string quartet

SLNSW 8535 New South Wales State Conservatorium Quartet string quartet

In 1917 Walenn moved to Australia to follow a call for the position of a violin teacher at the Elder Conservatorium at

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

. Seven years later, in 1924 he took the same position at the

New South Wales State Conservatorium of Music New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

and founded there the Conservatorium String Quartet with Lionel Lawson (violin), Alfred Hill (viola) and Gladstone Bell (cello). Walenn was made a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music, (F.R.A.M.) in 1936. He died in 1942 at the age of 70 in Sydney, "after a brief illness."

Compositions

* Feuille d'album, for violin and piano * 3 pieces for violin and piano * Song of the desert * Butterfly * Romance & Allegro, for 2 violins, cello and piano * Caprice for violin and orchestra * Harlequinade for violin and piano or orchestra (1900) * Quartet for 2 violins, cello and piano * 3 easy pieces, for violin and piano * Old Lavender, for violin and piano

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Walenn, Gerald 1871 births 1942 deaths Australian classical composers Australian classical violinists British male violinists Australian male classical composers Australian music educators British classical composers British classical violinists Alumni of the Royal Academy of Music Fellows of the Royal Academy of Music British expatriates in Australia British male classical composers British music educators Male classical violinists