Primrose, William (1903–1982)

Scottish viola player. After studying in Glasgow and at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London, he studied with Ysaÿe in Belgium from 1925 to 1927, and on his advice took up the viola. From 1930 to 1935 he played with the London String Quartet, and in 1937 was selected by Toscanini to become first viola of the NBC Symphony Orchestra, with which he remained until 1942. In 1939 he founded his own string quartet. He also commissioned a viola concerto from Bartók, which he gave the first performance of, in 1949. He taught in Tokyo from 1972.