| Life and career | Frank Bridge, 1879-1941 |
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| 1879 | Feb. 26 | Born in Brighton, the tenth of twelve children of William Henry Bridge and the first of three from his third marriage, to Elizabeth Warbrick |
| 1884 | Starts school at York Place (later Varndean) School, in Sussex. | |
| 1885 | Starts learning violin at age 6 from his father, a violin teacher and conductor of Brighton theatre orchestras. | |
| 1891- | 1896 | Attends Brighton School of Music (estab. 1883). At age 12, starts composing. Throughout teenage years, plays in father's orchestras, substituting on other stringed instruments, occasionally arranging, and even conducting. |
| 1896 | Enters the Royal College of Music as a student of violin and piano; occasionally plays in Orchestra (2nd Violin); continues to compose for pleasure, without instruction. | |
| 1899 | Wins scholarship to study composition for four years with C V Stanford. Advances to principal 2nd Violin in College Orchestra. Very active in ensembles organised by students. | |
| 1900 | August | Completes first extant composition. (H.2) |
| November | Makes first public appearances as chamber player and as violist. | |
| 1901 | March | Awarded the Arthur Sullivan Prize for his String Quartet in B flat (H. 3), also performed. |
| December | Performs in première of his String Quartet in E minor (H. 7) | |
| 1902 | June | First public appearance as conductor. |
| 1903 | Awarded Tagore Gold Medal 'for the most generally deserving pupil'; gains ARCM in composition. Friend and fellow student Ethel Sinclair returns home to Australia | |
| April | Leaves RCM with high praise from Sir Hubert Parry |
| 1904 | Begins earning a living as violin/viola player and teacher. Plays in leading orchestras; joins three string quartets, many members of which were fellow 'Vagabonds'. Second violin in Grimson Quartet from 1902 (other members Jessie Grimson, Ernest Tomlinson, Edward Mason; came to public notice in St James Hall popular concerts, frequent provincial tours and concerts at Queen's Hall, Broadwood Concerts Rooms and South Place Concerts). Viola in Motto Quartet from 1903 (other members Marie Motto, Thom Morris and R. Purcell-Jones). Founder member of English String Quartet from 1902 until 1920s (other original players Thom Morris, Herbert Kinsey, and 'cellist Ivor James; one of the finest quartets of that generation; promote own concert series, and regularly coach and perform at RCM and Oxford University, including the respective Students' Unions) | |
| Aug | First important publication, Autumn (H. 24), in the Musical Times Supplement | |
| 1904 | May 20 | First professional appearance as conductor in the First Patron's Fund Concert, St James's Hall, Symphonic Poem (H. 30) and The Hag (H. 14) |
| Oct 19 | Bridge (vla), with Vera Warwick Evans, Herbert Kinsey, and Ivor James give British première of Debussy's String Quartet (the work becomes a strong influence on Bridge's early string writing) | |
| Dec 6 | Three songs (H. 21, H. 38 and H. 36) premiered at the Second Patron's Fund Concert | |
| 1905 | Conducts repertoire rehearsals for the New Symphony Orchestra. English String Quartet, with Donald Tovey, play piano quintets by Schumann and Brahms for the Prime Minister, Arthur Balfour. | |
| May 20 | Mark Hambourg (pno) plays the prize-winning Capriccio No. 1 (H. 52) | |
| Sep | Bridge wins second prize in the first W W Cobbett Musical Competition with the Phantasie in F minor (H. 55) | |
| Nov 23 | RCM students perform String Quartet in B flat (H. 3) | |
| Nov 26 | Plays second viola with the Joachim Quartet, in Brahms's Sextet in G major | |
| 1906 | English String Quartet plays for Balfour again, now Leader of the Opposition | |
| Jun 22 | Saunders Quartet gives first British performance of Phantasie in F minor (H. 55) | |
| Autumn | Bridge receives 'mention d'honneur' for String Quartet in E minor (H. 70) from Filharmonica Accademica, Bologna | |
| Begins Sextet in E flat (H. 107) | ||
| Bridge deputizes for the indisposed viola player of the Joachim Quartet. Thereafter Bridge and English String Quartet feature regularly in the programmes of the Classical Concerts Society (founded and run by German-born businessman, Edward Speyer, 1839-1934) and concerts promoted by fellow composers Josef Holbrooke, Thomas Dunhill and Donald F. Tovey. Bridge befriended by Speyer and becomes part of the German's influential circle of international musicians; often spends musical weekends at Speyer's Hertfordshire home, 'Ridgehurst,' in Shenley, plays chamber music with leading figures and in the 'Ridgehurst' Quartet (Frank and Ethel Bridge, Ferdinand Speyer, Edward's son, and Ivor James) until 1933. Correspondence survives. | ||
| 1907 | Mar 28 | Grimson Quartet gives first performance of Three Idylls (H. 67), followed by performances in the Netherlands. |
| Jun 14 | Grimson Quartet and Thomas Dunhill give first public performance of Piano Quintet (H. 49) | |
| Autumn | Bridge wins first prize in W W Cobbett's Third Musical Competition with Phantasie in C minor (H. 79) | |
| Oct 3 | Sir Henry Wood conducts first performance of Isabella (H. 78) at a Queen's Hall Promenade Concert | |
| Ethel Sinclair returns from Australia |
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