British composer and conductor Oliver Knussen has died aged 66, after suffering from a short illness.
Knussen was one of the most influential composer-conductors in recent memory and leaves behind him a prestigious and deeply respected body of work including his opera for beloved children’s classic, Where the Wild Things Are.
He had worked extensively with the BBC Symphony Orchestra during his life and was awarded the title of Artist in Association with the orchestra from 2009 to 2014.
Throughout his career he held numerous significant positions including Head of Contemporary Music at Tanglewood Music Centre, Artistic Director of Aldeburgh Festival, and Music Director of the London Sinfonietta.
Knussen had also been the house composer for publisher Faber for over 40 years.
In a statement issued today, Faber said: ‘His impact on the musical community – both in the UK and around the world – was extraordinary and is a testament to his great generosity and curiosity as a musician, and as his unfailing love and deep knowledge of the art form.’
Born in Glasgow in 1952, Knussen studied composition with John Lambert at Gunther Schuller at Tanglewood. He wrote his first symphony at the age of fifteen and later conducted its premier with the London Symphony Orchestra.
His third symphony, which was dedicated to Michael Tilson Thomas, is widely regarded as a 20th century classic and belongs to a dazzling collection of work created by the composer throughout the 1970s and ‘80s.
As one of the foremost composer-conductors in the world, Knussen was widely known for his advocacy across a wide range of contemporary music and for his prolific recordings and premiers.
In 2014, he became the inaugural Richard Rodney Bennett Professor of Music at Royal Academy of Music, London, where he was recently awarded an honorary doctorate.
Other awards include an Ivor Novello award for classical music in 2016, the ISM Distinguished Musician Award and the 2015 Queens Medal for Music.
Knussen was one of the most influential composer-conductors in recent memory and leaves behind him a prestigious and deeply respected body of work including his opera for beloved children’s classic, Where the Wild Things Are.
He had worked extensively with the BBC Symphony Orchestra during his life and was awarded the title of Artist in Association with the orchestra from 2009 to 2014.
Throughout his career he held numerous significant positions including Head of Contemporary Music at Tanglewood Music Centre, Artistic Director of Aldeburgh Festival, and Music Director of the London Sinfonietta.
Knussen had also been the house composer for publisher Faber for over 40 years.
In a statement issued today, Faber said: ‘His impact on the musical community – both in the UK and around the world – was extraordinary and is a testament to his great generosity and curiosity as a musician, and as his unfailing love and deep knowledge of the art form.’
Born in Glasgow in 1952, Knussen studied composition with John Lambert at Gunther Schuller at Tanglewood. He wrote his first symphony at the age of fifteen and later conducted its premier with the London Symphony Orchestra.
His third symphony, which was dedicated to Michael Tilson Thomas, is widely regarded as a 20th century classic and belongs to a dazzling collection of work created by the composer throughout the 1970s and ‘80s.
As one of the foremost composer-conductors in the world, Knussen was widely known for his advocacy across a wide range of contemporary music and for his prolific recordings and premiers.
In 2014, he became the inaugural Richard Rodney Bennett Professor of Music at Royal Academy of Music, London, where he was recently awarded an honorary doctorate.
Other awards include an Ivor Novello award for classical music in 2016, the ISM Distinguished Musician Award and the 2015 Queens Medal for Music.
