Avison is best known as a com­poser and writ­er about mu­sic. Though lit­tle is known of his ear­ly life, he did tra­vel to Ita­ly to stu­dy as a young man, and up­on re­turn to Eng­land became a stu­dent of Gem­in­i­a­ni . In 1735, he be­came or­gan­ist at St. John’s Church in New­cast­le, and at St. Nich­o­las’ Church in 1736. Two years lat­er, he be­gan di­rect­ing con­certs in New­castle. He al­so gave les­sons in the harp­si­chord, vi­o­lin, and flute. Mu­sic his­tor­i­ans re­mem­ber him for his Es­say on Mu­sic­al Ex­pres­sion (1752), which has been de­scribed as the first work of Eng­lish mu­sic cri­ti­cism.

Avison was of­fered (and de­clined) po­si­tions in York, Dub­lin, Ed­in­burgh, and Lon­don, spend­ing his en­tire life in New­castle.

Sources

Music

1. Avison