Sir Arthur Sullivan

Although best remembered for his collaborations with W. S. Gilbert, Sir Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900) also composed operas, choral and orchestral works and was a talented pianist. Following study at the Royal Academy of Music and the Leipzig Conservatoire, he returned to London in 1861. Encouraged by George Grove with whom he became firm friends, the success of ‘The Tempest’ established him as a composer. Sullivan was appointed Principal of the newly formed National Training School for Music (later superseded by the RCM) in 1876.