Anthony Collins (film composer)

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Anthony Vincent Collins (born September 3, 1893 in Hastings , East Sussex , England , † December 11, 1963 in Los Angeles , California ) was a British film composer who was nominated three times for the Oscar for best film music . Collins continued to work as a musician, conductor and composer of classical music and was a long-time employee of the London Symphony Orchestra .

Life

At the age of 17, Collins appeared as a violist with Hastings ' municipal orchestra, gaining his first experience as a professional musician. After serving in the British Army during World War I , he began studying at the Royal College of Music in 1920 . There he learned composition with Gustav Holst and violin with Serge Rivarde . In 1925, Collins became principal violist with the London Symphony Orchestra .

In 1936 Herbert Wilcox asked Collins to compose the score for his drama Queen Victoria ( Victoria the Great , 1937). The following year Wilcox hired him again as a film composer for the sequel Sixty Glorious Years .

In addition to his work in the film music business, Collins began a career as a conductor. At first he conducted the Carl Rosa Opera Company at the music theater . In 1938 he took over this task for the first time at the London Symphony Orchestra, where he musically conducted the 1st Symphony by Edward Elgar .

The following year, Collins went to California. There he conducted and composed for RKO Pictures for six years .

At the Academy Awards in 1940 he was nominated for the Oscar for best film music for the first time for the film Nurse Edith Cavell (1939). Further nominations followed in 1941 for Irene (1940) and in 1942 for the musical film Sunny (1941).

After the Second World War he returned to England, continued to compose film music and worked as a conductor for the London Symphony Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra and other orchestras. From 1950 Decca Records produced several recordings of the symphonies by Jean Sibelius , which were recorded under Collins direction by the London Symphony Orchestra.

In 1953 Collins returned to the USA for good. There he conducted the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for the recordings for two LPs released by EMI in 1956 .

In total, Collins worked on over 75 films as a composer of the film music or as musical director by 1957 . In addition to his film music, he composed classical pieces - such as two symphonies for string instruments, violin concertos and chamber music - but also some pieces of popular music.

Filmography (selection)

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personal data
SURNAME Collins, Anthony
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Collins, Anthony Vincent (full name); Collins, Anthony Vincett Benedictus
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British film composer
DATE OF BIRTH September 3, 1893
PLACE OF BIRTH Hastings , East Sussex , England
DATE OF DEATH December 11, 1963
Place of death Los Angeles , California , United States