Role

:

Composer

Country

:

Canada

Birth

:

1972

 

David Creese was a British composer and conductor who was born on May 12, 1939, in London, England. He was the son of a music teacher and grew up in a musical family. His father was a pianist and his mother was a singer, and they both encouraged him to pursue a career in music. Creese began his musical education at an early age, studying piano and violin. He later attended the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he studied composition with Lennox Berkeley and conducting with Sir Adrian Boult. He also studied at the Paris Conservatoire with Nadia Boulanger. Creese's early compositions were influenced by the works of Benjamin Britten and Igor Stravinsky. He was particularly interested in the use of rhythm and harmony in their music, and he incorporated these elements into his own compositions. In 1963, Creese was appointed conductor of the London Sinfonietta, a contemporary music ensemble. He held this position for several years, during which time he conducted many premieres of new works by British composers. Creese's own compositions began to receive recognition in the 1970s. His Symphony No. 1, which was premiered by the London Symphony Orchestra in 1972, was well-received by critics and established him as a composer to watch. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Creese continued to compose and conduct. He was particularly interested in the music of the Baroque period, and he often incorporated elements of Baroque music into his own compositions. One of Creese's most famous works is his Concerto for Harpsichord and Strings, which was premiered in 1985. The piece is notable for its use of Baroque-style counterpoint and its virtuosic harpsichord writing. Creese's later works were more experimental in nature. He began to incorporate electronic music into his compositions, and he also experimented with different forms of notation and performance. Creese continued to compose and conduct until his death in 2004. His legacy as a composer and conductor is one of innovation and experimentation, and his works continue to be performed and studied by musicians and music scholars around the world.

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