Leo Birnbaum
British viola player. Born 9 February 1911 in London, England, UK - Died 20 April 2008. [b]Not to be confused with the American music editor [a=Leon Birnbaum][/b]. He studied at [l305416]. In 1932, he was invited to become the youngest founder member of the [a=London Philharmonic Orchestra] remaining with the Orchestra through to 1938, when he briefly joined [a=The London Symphony Orchestra] (1939-1940) before playing in [a=Mantovani And His Orchestra] in the West End and in 37 wartime recordings. He later joined the [a=Coldstream Guards]. After the war, he joined the [a271875] as Principal Viola. By the end of the 1950s he decided to work entirely freelance. He was in the backing orchestera for [a=The Beatles]' first studio recording of "Hello Goodbye". He retired in 1986.
