William Dorrell

William Dorrell, pianist, was born in London, September 5, 1810. Son of Edmund Dorrell, painter, an early member of the old Water Colour Society. William received his first lessons from his eldest sister, and afterwards entered the R.A.M., and studied under Dr. Crotch, Cipriani Potter, and Charles Lucas. In 1844 he went to Paris, and studied with Kalkbrenner and Stephen Heller. Returning to London, he was made a Professor of the Pf. at the R.A.M., an office he retained for over forty years. Mr. Dorrell was known as a most skillful pianist, and he appeared occasionally in public. One noticeable concert he gave at the Hanover Square Rooms, June 2, 1842, when he played Bennett’s Concerto in E flat. Mendelssohn was present at this concert. His time was afterwards mainly occupied in teaching, his pupils including members of many noble families. Of his composition very little in known. He was one of the founders of the Bach Society, in 1849; Member of the Royal Society of Musicians, and the Philharmonic Society. He died in London, December 13, 1896.

--excerpts from British musical biography: a dictionary of musical artists, authors, and ...
By James Duff Brown, Stephen Samuel Stratton