Alexander Owen (29 April 1851 – 29 July 1920) was an English brass band conductor, arranger and cornet player.
"[1] Owen was born in Manchester, and grew up in an orphanage in Swinton.
By 1875 he was regarded as the best cornet player in the country, and joined the Meltham & Meltham Mills Band, leading them to three consecutive wins at the British Open brass band championships between 1876 and 1878.
[2] Although he remained involved with the Black Dyke Mills Band until 1888, he also became involved with the Besses o' th' Barn Band, working on new arrangements of works by Rossini and Beethoven that allowed them to win further national championships over the next decade.
In 1906, Owen led the Besses o' th' Barn Band on an international tour that took them to the U.S., Canada, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, touring with them again between 1909 and 1911.