29 January 1852, Kingston, Jamaica – 6 October 1935, London, England
English composer, conductor and pianist. Cowen's career, both as composer and conductor, is now unjustly forgotten. He was one of the first British-born professional conductors to have the respect of critics, orchestral musicians, and the public, and he held lengthy tenures with every major British orchestra active before 1900. In addition, his six-month engagement with the Melbourne Exposition made him the most highly-paid conductor in history up to that time. Although he regarded himself primarily as a symphonist, he was most successful in lighter orchestral pieces when treating fantastic or fairy subjects, where his gifts for graceful melody and colourful orchestration are shown to best advantage.
