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Virtuoso oboist and orchestra administrator whose infectious energy earned him the nickname 'the Whizzer' ANTHONY CAMDEN was principal oboe of the London Symphony Orchestra from 1972 to 1988, its chairman from 1975 to 1987 and one of the London Virtuosi — an ensemble he founded with James Galway, John Georgiadis, David Lumsden and Brian Hawkins in 1972. He was admired not only for his musicianship but also for his strong leadership, charm and boundless energy in administrative roles, which spawned his nickname “the Whizzer”. Anthony John Camden was born in London to the bassoonist Archie Camden and Joyce (née Kerrison), a cellist, pianist and composer, in 1938. His first instrument was the violin: he was taught by Isolde Menges and could be heard tackling the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto aged 12. However, it was then suggested that to help his severe asthma (which was making sport difficult) he should take up the oboe, so he gave up the violin, and went for oboe lessons with Evelyn Rothwell (Lady Barbirolli). After finishing at Highgate School he went to study at the Royal College of Music, where his oboe professor was Terence MacDonagh. There he helped to form the Camden Wind Quintet, in which he played with his brother Kerry (bassoon), James Galway (flute), Peter Maunder (clarinet) and Nicholas Busch (French horn). With his brother and Ian Lake (piano), he was also part of the Camden Trio, which had previously consisted of his father, Evelyn Rothwell and Wilfrid Parry. Having graduated, Camden accepted the position of principal oboe in the Northern Sinfonia Orchestra, with which he performed the Haydn Sinfonia Concertante with Isaac Stern and Leonard Rose, and played numerous concertos. He then became principal oboe of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. After five years he was appointed principal oboe of the London Symphony Orchestra, and he and his wife Diane, whom he had met in Birmingham, moved to London, where they had two children. Camden distinguished himself as a soloist; when he played Bellini’s oboe concerto in 1975 the critic Stanley Sadie referred to his “beautifully crisp articulation, sweet tone and singing legato” and he made a number of recordings with the orchestra, including the Bach concerto for violin and oboe, with Yehudi Menuhin, and the oboe concerto by Grace Williams. As chairman, he worked closely with Claudio Abbado, the LSO’s musical director, and André Previn, who had been principal conductor since 1969. He oversaw a number of projects: in 1979 he and Previn negotiated a deal for the LSO to record the Star Wars soundtrack; in 1983 the LSO became the first major orchestra in London to find a permanent home, in the newly built Barbican Centre. Unfortunately a new programme of adventurous and modern music, which included Stockhausen and Tippett, devised soon afterwards did not prove popular with audiences. However, the orchestra gradually recovered from its financial difficulty when a return was made to a more traditional programme. In 1988 Camden moved to Australia after being appointed director of the Queensland Conservatorium, a position he held until 1993. He supervised its amalgamation with Griffith University and drew visitors, including Joan Sutherland and Neville and Andrew Marriner. He forged exchange relationships with well-known academies, and whenever funds were wanting for his many initiatives he was efficient in finding sponsorship. He also helped to raise the profile of the Queensland Philharmonic Orchestra as its artistic adviser. His first marriage had been dissolved and through the QPO he met a violinist, Lilly Li, whom he married in 1993. That year Camden was appointed Dean of Music at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Art. Over the years that followed he greatly improved the standing of the academy while performing regularly in China, Thailand and the Philippines. He retired as dean of music after ten years, and he, his wife and their daughter moved back to Australia; after living for a time in Upper Brookfield, where they bought a house which they named Villa Albinoni, they moved to New Farm, Brisbane. Camden was planning solo and chamber music performances when motor neuron disease was diagnosed in 2004. A number of oboe concertos were written for Camden and in the 1990s he embarked on a large-scale recording project: 36 concertos with accompaniment, some with the London Virtuosi and others with the City of London Sinfonia. Because of this he is one of the most recorded oboists. He is survived by his wife and his three children. The Times - London 06/04/2006 |
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