Kenneth Alwyn Wetherell was a British conductor, composer, and writer. He served with the Royal Air Force during World War II and later studied at the Royal Academy of Music from 1947 to 1951, where he won the Manns Memorial Prize for conducting in 1952. Alwyn began his career as a conductor with the Sadler's Wells Theatre Ballet in 1952, moving to the Royal Ballet at Covent Garden in 1957. He conducted the premiere of Benjamin Britten's The Prince of the Pagodas on January 1, 1957. Alwyn had a long association with BBC Radio 2's Friday Night is Music Night, appearing for thirty years as a conductor and presenter. Notable recordings include Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture · Capriccio Italien · Marche Slave · Swan Lake (1958) and Warsaw Concerto & Other Film Themes (2003). Alwyn passed away on December 10, 2020.
