Role

:

Composer Conductor Performer

Country

:

United Kingdom

Birth

:

June 12, 1952 in Glasgow, Scotland

Death

:

July 8, 2018 in Snape, Suffolk, England

Period

:

Contemporary

 

 

Modern

Genre

:

Keyboard

 

 

Orchestral

 

 

Vocal

 

Oliver Knussen was a British composer and conductor who was born on June 12, 1952, in Glasgow, Scotland. He was the son of Stuart Knussen, a double bass player with the London Symphony Orchestra, and Anne Knussen, a pianist and composer. Oliver Knussen showed an early interest in music and began composing at the age of six. He studied at the Purcell School and later at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Knussen's early compositions were influenced by the music of Benjamin Britten, who became his mentor and friend. In 1970, at the age of 18, Knussen completed his first major work, the Symphony No. 1. The piece was premiered by the London Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Colin Davis, and it received critical acclaim. In the 1970s, Knussen became known for his innovative and experimental approach to composition. He was associated with the New Complexity movement, which sought to create music that was complex and challenging for both performers and listeners. Knussen's works from this period include the orchestral piece "Coursing" (1979) and the chamber work "Ophelia Dances" (1976). In addition to his work as a composer, Knussen was also a highly regarded conductor. He made his conducting debut in 1976 with the London Sinfonietta, and he went on to conduct many of the world's leading orchestras, including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, and the London Symphony Orchestra. One of Knussen's most notable achievements as a conductor was his work with the Aldeburgh Festival, an annual music festival founded by Benjamin Britten in 1948. Knussen served as the festival's artistic director from 1983 to 1998, and he helped to establish it as one of the world's leading festivals of contemporary music. Knussen's compositions from the 1980s and 1990s were characterized by a more lyrical and expressive style. He continued to experiment with new forms and techniques, but his music became more accessible to a wider audience. Some of his most popular works from this period include the opera "Where the Wild Things Are" (1984) and the orchestral piece "Symphony No. 2" (1991-1994). Knussen received many awards and honors throughout his career. In 1994, he was awarded the prestigious Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition for his Symphony No. 2. He was also awarded the Royal Philharmonic Society's Conductor Award in 1999 and the Ivor Novello Award for Classical Music in 2006. Knussen continued to compose and conduct until his death on July 8, 2018, at the age of 66. His contributions to the world of classical music were significant, and his innovative and experimental approach to composition and conducting inspired many musicians and composers around the world.

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