Around the Music Festival

World-class composer Oliver Knussen died on the 9th. He was 66 years old. Nassen was born in Glasgow, UK in 1952. His father was the principal contrabass player of the London Symphony Orchestra. Learning composition in John Lambert, conducting the London Symphony Orchestra at the age of 16, premiered his own symphony No. 1, debuted as a conductor.

After that he studied under Gunther Schuller at the Tanglewood Music Center in the US. In addition to being known as symphony no. 3 as a masterpiece, opera has “Where the Wild Things Are” and “Higgledy Piggledy Pop” collaborated with picture book author Maurice Sendak, and in chamber music “Songs without Voices” etc is there.

From 1986 to 1998 he served as the director of the contemporary music department at the Tanglewood Music Center, as well as Associate Artistic Director of the Oldball Music Festival (1983 – 1998), Music Director of London Sinfonietta (1998 – 2002).

Until recently he served as a key post at the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the South Bank Center, leading the contemporary music world.

Photo：Harrison Parrott　/　Ivor Novello Award