Antonio Brosa

Antonio Brosa was a Spanish violinist born in Canonja in 1894 and died in Barcelona in 1979. His career, spanning much of the twentieth century, took him from Catalonia to Brussels, London and the United States, and made him a respected figure both as a soloist and as a member of chamber ensembles.

He trained in Barcelona with Ainaud and in Brussels with Mathiell Čricboom, and made his public debut in his native town when he was barely ten years old. In 1914 he settled in London, where he took part in the first violin radio broadcasts from the 2LO studio at Savoy Hill in 1920. Between 1925 and 1939 he led the Brosa String Quartet, which gained renown in Europe and the United States and influenced the standard of ensemble playing.

In 1940 he emigrated to the United States, where he took over the Pro Arte Quartet following the death of Alphonse Onnue, and toured the country for four years. He also formed duos with Mathilde Verne and Kathleen Long, and premiered Britten's Violin Concerto in New York in 1940. His style, polished and with a sound that was incisive yet sweet, relied on a Stradivarius violin, the 'Vesuvius', dating from 1727. He taught for many years at the Royal College of Music.