Rowsby Woof

Edward Rowsby Woof (18 January 1883 – 31 December 1943) was an English violinist and music educator. He became professor of violin at the Royal Academy of Music (FRAM) in London, and wrote instructional works on violin technique and violin studies. Among his pupils were Arthur Kennedy, Nona Liddell, William Waterhouse, Frederick Grinke, Jean Pougnet, Priaulx Rainier, Rosemary Rapaport, Sidney Griller, Peter Mountain, Colin Sauer and Felix Kok.

Early life
Woof was born in Coalbrookdale, son of Edward Woof and his wife Sarah (née Rowsby).

Career
From information in prospectuses of the Royal Academy of Music. Woof was awarded the Royal Academy of Music's Bronze Medal for Violin in 1904, the Silver Medal for Violin in 1905, and the Dove Prize in 1906. In 1907, he made his debut at Bechstein Hall (now Wigmore Hall).
 * Violin sub-professor: 1904-1905


 * Violin professor: 1909-1939
 * Viola professor: 1912-1939
 * Ensemble playing classes: 1914-1923

Personal life
In 1911, Woof married Victoria Mary Fox, a music teacher. They had no children. He died 31 December 1943.

Legacy
The Rowsby Woof Prize for Royal Academy of Music violin students, founded by his wife in 1944, was awarded annually in the years 1945 to 1963. The Prize Board listing the awardees was added to the RAM Museum's collection in 2011. Recipients include Colin Sauer (1945), Clarence Myerscough (1952), Brendan O' Reilly (1956) and John Georgiadis (1959) of the Gabrieli String Quartet, and Roy Malan (1963), founding concertmaster of the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra.

Rowsby Woof is listed in the Musicians' Book of Remembrance in the Musician's Chapel at St Sepulchre-without-Newgate.

Selected works
Compositions Arrangements Instructional works
 * Diamond Jubilee, children's song, words by S. R. W., R.Cocks & Co.: London [1897]
 * Reverie, for violin & piano, C. Woodhouse: London, 1909
 * Little Waltz in first position, for violin & piano, C. Woodhouse: London, 1910
 * Scherzo, for violin & piano, C. Woodhouse: London, 1910
 * Scherzo, for piano, Cary & Co.: London, 1912
 * Swinging, for violin & piano, Cary & Co.: London, 1913
 * Forsaken, for violin & piano. Cary & Co.: London, 1914
 * The North Wind, for violin & piano, J. Williams: London, 1919
 * A Romp, for violin & piano, J. Williams: London, 1919
 * Four Fancies, for violin & piano. I Caprice II Romance III Minuet IV In church, Anglo-French Music Co.: London, 1920
 * Valse Capriccio, for violin & piano, J. Williams: London, 1927
 * Bach, J. S.: Largo and Allegro, arr. violin & piano
 * Paganini, N. Caprice, arr. violin & piano [1922]
 * Geminiani, F.: Sonata Op.4 No. 10, Two Minuets [1927]
 * The First Position Six short pieces for beginners for violin. Anglo-French Music Co.: London, 1910
 * Technique and Interpretation in Violin-playing [1920] ISBN 978-1-406-79686-5
 * Thirty Studies of Moderate Difficulty for Violin ISBN 978-1-854-72080-1
 * Fifty Elementary Studies for Violin ISBN 978-1-854-72401-4
 * Official book of Scales and Arpeggios for the Violin ed. R. Woof, Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music: London, 1922