Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Julian Bream

Role / Field:

Pioneering English classical guitarist and lutenist of the 20th century.

Born:

1933-07-15

Died:

2020-08-14

Century / Era:

1933s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Julian Alexander Bream (15 July 1933 – 14 August 2020) was an English classical guitarist and lutenist. Regarded as one of the most distinguished classical guitarists of the 20th century, he played a significant role in improving the public perception of the classical guitar as a respectable instrument. Over the course of a career that spanned more than half a century, Bream also helped revive interest in the lute. Bream was born in Battersea, London, to Henry and Violet Jessie (née Wright) Bream.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

At the age of two he moved with his family to Hampton in London, where he was brought up in a musical environment. His father was a commercial artist and an amateur jazz guitarist, who was unable to read music but had a finely attuned ear and could play a lot of popular music. His mother, of Scottish descent, had a warm and loving personality, but no interest in music. His parents divorced when he was 14. His grandmother owned a pub in Battersea, and Bream spent much time there during his youth.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The young Bream was impressed by the playing of Django Reinhardt; he later named his dog "Django". Bream played the piano and cello as a child and Reinhardt inspired Bream to take...

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• Akhtar Hameed Khan — Shared historical date (07-15 · Born) (1914): Pioneering Pakistani social scientist and development practitioner.
• Annibale Carracci — Shared historical date (07-15 · Died) (1609): Pioneering Bolognese Baroque painter, founder of a classical style in Rome.
• Alija Sirotanović — Shared historical date (08-14 · Born) (1914): Famous Yugoslav coal miner and model worker, recognized as a Hero of Socialist Labour.
• Bertolt Brecht — Shared historical date (08-14 · Died) (1956): Pioneering German playwright and poet, master of epic theatre techniques.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Julian Bream