Agnew, Robert Ewing(Roy Agnew)

1891 - Roy was born on the 23rd of August in Sydney and had his education at Chatswood and Hornsby public schools.

         - He was taught music by Emanuel de Beaupuis, an Italian pianist living in Sydney, then briefly studied composition under Alfred Hill at the New South Wales State Conservatorium of Music.

1911 - Agnew was teaching the piano at Marrickville and beginning to compose 'strikingly original works', abandoning 'the limitations of key and tonal relationship'.

1913 - He published "Australian Forest Pieces" for Piano.

1920 - Benno Moiseiwitsch played "Deirdre's Lament" and the "Dance of the Wild Men" at a matinée two of his compositions at the Sydney Town Hall.

1923 - Agnew went to London where he studied composition and orchestration with Gerrard Williams.

1927 - His "Fantaisie Sonata" was played in London by William Murdoch, and published by Augener Ltd of London.

         - The Arthur P. Schmidt Co. of New York issued five of his small pieces in book form, titled "Contrasts".

1928 - He returned to Sydney and in July played at a welcome-home concert at the conservatorium.

1931-1934 - Agnew performed his works at the Lyceum Club and at George Woodhouse's studio, London, in Glasgow, and for the British Broadcasting Corporation.

1944 - In February, he joined the staff of the conservatorium but he died of septicaemia following tonsillitis on

the 12th of November and was cremated with Presbyterian rites.