The timeline below gives the signifcant dates in Elgar's musical life, including his major compositions, his significant honours and his eventual venture into the recording studio.
 |
 |
| 1857 | Born 2nd June at Lower Broadheath |
| 1864 | Starts learning the piano |
| 1869 | Starts learning the violin |
| 1872 |
First complete composition The Language of Flowers and Chantant |
| 1877 |
First series of violin lessons with Adolphe Pollitzer |
| 1878 |
Attempts to write a symphony using Mozart's 40th as a model Plays in the Three Choirs Festival orchestra for the first time |
| 1884 |
London hears Elgar for the first time - Sevillana |
| 1885 |
Publication of Romance for Violin and Piano, Op.1 Succeeds his father as organist at St. George's R.C. Church |
| 1890 |
Froissart performed at the Three Choirs Festival |
| 1892 |
Serenade for Strings Gives lecture- recitals in Worcester on Beethoven's Violin Sonatas |
| 1896 |
The Light of Life and King Olaf |
| 1898 |
Caractacus Conducts the first concert of the Worcestershire Philharmonic Society |
| 1899 |
The Enigma Variations |
| 1900 |
The Dream of Gerontius Awarded Cambridge Doctorate |
| 1901 |
Pomp & Circumstance Marches Nos.1 & 2 |
| 1903 |
The Apostles |
| 1904 |
In the South Three Day Elgar Festival at Covent Garden |
| 1905 |
Introduction and Allegro First lecture as Peyton Professor of Music at Birmingham University |
| 1906 |
The Kingdom |
| 1908 |
Symphony No. 1 |
| 1910 |
Violin Concerto |
| 1911 | Symphony No. 2 Succeeds Richter as principal conductor of London Symphony Orchestra |
| 1912 | The Music Makers |
| 1913 | Falstaff |
| 1914 | Conducts his first gramophone recording - Carissima |
| 1918 | Starts work on the String Quartet, Violin Sonata and Piano Quintet |
| 1919 | Cello Concerto |
| 1924 | Appointed Master of the King's Musick |
| 1929 | Records a series of Piano improvisations |
| 1931 | Opens EMI Studios at Abbey Road, London |
| 1932 | Starts work on Symphony No. 3 Conducts Yehudi Menuhin in a recording of the Violin Concerto |
| 1934 | Dies peacefully on 23rd February in Worcester |
