Oswald Astley Cheesman (13 September 1913 – 29 September 1985) was a New Zealand musician, music teacher, conductor and composer. He was born in

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon Rive ...

, New Zealand, on 13 September 1913. After World War II, he was involved in forming first New Zealand Broadcasting Service's Auckland Radio Orchestra and then in 1946 and 1947 the National Orchestra, now the

New Zealand Symphony Orchestra The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO) is a symphony orchestra based in Wellington, New Zealand. The national orchestra of New Zealand, the NZSO is an autonomous Crown entity owned by the Government of New Zealand, per the New Zealand Symph ...

. In 1970, he received the Benny Award from the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand Inc, the highest honour available to a New Zealand variety entertainer. In the 1972 Queen's Birthday Honours, he was appointed a

Member of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

, for services to music.

References

1913 births 1985 deaths New Zealand conductors (music) Male conductors (music) Musicians from Christchurch New Zealand Symphony Orchestra people 20th-century conductors (music) New Zealand Members of the Order of the British Empire 20th-century male musicians {{NewZealand-musician-stub