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Björling, Jussi

(Encyclopedia)Björling, Jussi yo͞osˈsĭ byörˈlĭng [key], 1911–60, Swedish tenor. He studied at the Royal Opera School in Stockholm, making his debut there in 1930 as Don Ottavio in Mozart's Don Giovanni. He...

Bedford, Brian

(Encyclopedia)Bedford, Brian, 1935–2016, English actor, b. Morley, Yorkshire; studied Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, London. During his long career, Bedford, who was adept at both tragedy and comedy, performed on...

Rymer, Thomas

(Encyclopedia)Rymer, Thomas rīˈmər [key], 1643?–1713, English critic and historiographer. Educated at Cambridge and Gray's Inn, he was called to the bar in 1673 but turned his efforts instead to literature, es...

Gwyn, Nell

(Encyclopedia)Gwyn or Gwynn, Nell (Eleanor Gwyn), 1650–87, English actress. Once an orange-seller at the Theatre Royal, she became a member of Killigrew's company, making her debut there in 1665. Her charm and vi...

Australian Ballet

(Encyclopedia)Australian Ballet, national ballet company of Australia, founded in Melbourne in 1962; its school was established in 1964. The company drew on the tradition established (1940) by Edouard Borovansky of...

Clarke, Charles Cowden

(Encyclopedia)Clarke, Charles Cowden, 1787–1877, English lecturer and author. He was a close friend of Keats, who was a pupil of Clarke's father. Clarke's lectures on Shakespeare were published as Shakespeare Cha...

Davies, Sir Peter Maxwell

(Encyclopedia)Davies, Sir Peter Maxwell dāˈvĭs [key], 1934–2016, English composer and conductor, b. Salford, studied Royal Manchester College of Music and Princeton with Roger Sessions and Milton Babbitt. He w...

Sargent, Sir Malcolm

(Encyclopedia)Sargent, Sir Malcolm, 1895–1967, English conductor, whose original name was Harold Malcolm Watts-Sargent. He was a composer and organist prior to his debut as a conductor at Queen's Hall in 1921. He...

Gorges, Sir Ferdinando

(Encyclopedia)Gorges, Sir Ferdinando gôrˈjĭz [key], c.1566–1647, English colonizer, proprietor of Maine. He was knighted (1591) for his services to Henry IV of France in the French Wars of Religion and was sub...

Valois, Dame Ninette de

(Encyclopedia)Valois, Dame Ninette de vălˈwä [key], 1898–2001, English ballet director, b. County Wicklow, Ireland. She was originally named Edris Stannus. After attaining distinction as a dancer, most notably...