Harrison Birtwistle | |
---|---|
![]() Birtwistle in Turin, 2008 | |
Born | Accrington, England | 15 July 1934
Died | 18 April 2022 Mere, Wiltshire, England | (aged 87)
Alma mater | Royal Manchester College of Music |
Era | Contemporary |
Works | List of compositions |
Spouse |
Sheila Duff
(m. 1958; died 2012) |
Children | 3, including Adam and Silas |
Sir Harrison Birtwistle CH (15 July 1934 – 18 April 2022) was an English composer of contemporary classical music best known for his operas, often based on mythological subjects.[1][2] Among his many compositions, his better known works include The Triumph of Time (1972) and the operas The Mask of Orpheus (1986), Gawain (1991), and The Minotaur (2008). The last of these was ranked by music critics at The Guardian in 2019 as the third-best piece of the 21st century.[3] Even his compositions that were not written for the stage often showed a theatrical approach. A performance of his saxophone concerto Panic during the BBC's Last Night of the Proms caused "national notoriety".[4] He received many international awards and honorary degrees.
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