Stanford Robinson

Stanford Robinson OBE (5 July 1904 – 25 October 1984) was an English conductor and composer, known for his work with the BBC. He remained a member of the BBC's staff until his retirement in 1966, founding or building up the organisation's choral groups, both amateur and professional.

Between 1947 and 1950, Robinson was assistant conductor of the Proms, the summer and autumn concert series founded by Henry Wood and run by the BBC. Away from his BBC work, Robinson conducted at Covent Garden and in Australia.

Robinson was born in Leeds, to a musical family. His father and grandfather were both organists and choirmasters, and his mother was a singer. He was named after the composer Sir Charles Villiers Stanford. He was educated at the Stationers' Company's School, leaving at the age of 15 and earning his living as a pianist at cinemas and restaurants. At the age of 18 he went to the Royal College of Music, where he studied under Adrian Boult, and conducted his first opera performances. While still at the College he took part in a BBC broadcast with the Wireless Orchestra, the forerunner of the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

From 1924 to 1966, Robinson was on the staff of the BBC. Until 1932 he was the BBC's first chorus master, in which capacity he established and developed the Wireless Chorus and Wireless Singers (now the BBC Singers) and the BBC National Chorus (now the BBC Symphony Chorus). He first appeared at the Proms in 1929, conducting the combined BBC choral groups in Delius's On Craig Dhu. He conducted at the Proms for the next two seasons, but not again until 1947. In addition to conducting for the BBC, Robinson also broadcast as a pianist.

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