Joseph Dando

Joseph Dando (full name Joseph Haydon Bourne Dando; 11 May 1806 – 9 May 1894) was an English violinist and viola player. He introduced the first public concerts of chamber music in England.

Early career Dando was born in Somers Town, London in 1806. He studied the violin with his uncle Gaetano Brandi. He was a pupil of Nicolas Mori for about seven years from 1819.

He joined the Philharmonic Orchestra in 1831 where he played until 1855. For many years, he led the orchestras of the Classical Harmonists and Choral Harmonists societies in London. In 1832 he played in the first performance in England of Beethoven's Fidelio.

String quartet

Dando assembled a string quartet consisting of Henry Blagrove and Henry Gattie (violins), Charles Lucas (cello) and himself playing viola: their first concert was on 17 March 1836 at the Hanover Square Rooms, and they continued for seven seasons until 1842, when Blagrove left the group.

The quartet led by Dando gave the first English performances of Haydn's The Seven Last Words (in 1843), Mendelssohn's String Quartet Op. 44 No. 3 and Schumann's String Quartet in A minor.

Later years After the quartet was disbanded Dando continued to play in orchestras. In the 1870s he became unable to play, and from 1875 he was music master at Charterhouse School in Godalming. He remained there until a short time before his death in 1894 in Godalming.