William Primrose

William Primrose CBE was born in Glasgow in 1904. He initially studied violin at the Guildhall in London, but after lessons with Eugène Ysaÿe in Belgium, he took up the viola. He began playing in the NBC Symphony Orchestra in New York under Arturo Toscanini, but in 1941 Primrose left as soon as rumours emerged that Toscanini would be leaving the orchestra. It was then that his career as a soloist began.

In 1946, he was the soloist on the first ever recording of Berlioz’s Harold in Italy. He also gave the world premiere performance of Bartók’s Viola Concerto in 1949, which Primrose had commissioned five years previous. Bartók died in 1945 and it was completed by Tibor Serly. Benjamin Britten wrote Lachrymae for him and Primrose himself wrote many transcriptions and arrangements for viola – many of which came from Paganini’s notoriously difficult violin works.

He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) by the Queen in 1953, and moved to the USA where he taught at the Julliard School, Eastman, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and the Curtis Institute; many of his students progressed to become noted players.

He died in Utah in 1982, three years after the first international music competition for viola players, The Primrose International Viola Competition, was established in his honour. Because of his significant to the recording industry, Primrose has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles.

In 2005 a festival was held in his honour at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, in collaboration with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.