Julian Anderson (born 6 April 1967) is a British composer and teacher of composition.

Biography

Anderson was born in London. He studied at

Westminster School Westminster School is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Westminster, London, England, in the precincts of Westminster Abbey. It descends from a charity school founded by Westminster Benedictines before the Norman Conquest, as do ...

, then with John Lambert at the

Royal College of Music The Royal College of Music (RCM) is a conservatoire established by royal charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, UK. It offers training from the undergraduate to the doctoral level in all aspects of Western Music including pe ...

, with

Alexander Goehr Peter Alexander Goehr (; 10 August 1932 – 26 August 2024) was a German-born English composer of contemporary classical music and academic teacher. A long-time professor of music at the University of Cambridge, Goehr influenced many notable c ...

Cambridge University The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

, privately with Tristan Murail in Paris, and on courses given by

Olivier Messiaen Olivier Eugène Prosper Charles Messiaen (, ; ; 10 December 1908 – 27 April 1992) was a French composer, organist, and ornithology, ornithologist. One of the major composers of the 20th-century classical music, 20th century, he was also an ou ...

, Per Nørgård and

György Ligeti György Sándor Ligeti (; ; 28 May 1923 – 12 June 2006) was a Hungarian-Austrian composer of contemporary classical music. He has been described as "one of the most important avant-garde music, avant-garde composers in the latter half of the ...

. From 2000 to 2004 he was Head of Composition at the

, and from 2004 to 2007 Fanny P. Mason Professor of Music at

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

. He is currently Professor of Composition and Composer in Residence at the

Guildhall School of Music and Drama The Guildhall School of Music and Drama is a music school, music and drama school located in the City of London, England. Established in 1880, the school offers undergraduate and postgraduate training in all aspects of classical music and jazz al ...

. He was Composer-in-Association with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra from 2001 to 2005 and Daniel R. Lewis Fellowship Composer with the

Cleveland Orchestra The Cleveland Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Cleveland, Ohio. Founded in 1918 by the pianist and impresario Adella Prentiss Hughes, the orchestra is one of the five American orchestras informally referred to as the " Big Five". T ...

from 2005 to 2007. From 2002 to the end of the 2010–11 concert season, he was artistic director of the 'Music of Today' concert series run by the

Philharmonia Orchestra The Philharmonia Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It was founded in 1945 by Walter Legge, a classical music record producer for EMI Classics, EMI. Among the conductors who worked with the orchestra in its early years were Rich ...

in London. From 2013 to 2016 he was Composer in Residence with

Wigmore Hall The Wigmore Hall is a concert hall at 36 Wigmore Street, in west London. It was designed by Thomas Edward Collcutt and opened in 1901 as the Bechstein Hall; it is considered to have particularly good building acoustics, acoustics. It specialis ...

. Anderson was appointed

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(CBE) in the

2021 New Year Honours The 2021 New Year Honours are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Honours are awarded as part of the New Year celebratio ...

for services to music.

Music

Anderson's former publisher, Faber Music, describes his music as:

... characterised by a fresh use of melody, vivid contrasts of texture and lively rhythmic impetus. He has a continuing interest in the music of traditional cultures from outside the Western concert tradition. He has a special love for the folk music of Eastern Europe–especially of the Lithuanian, Polish and Romanian traditions–and has also been much influenced by the modality of Indian ragas.

These influences combine with elements of

modernism Modernism was an early 20th-century movement in literature, visual arts, and music that emphasized experimentation, abstraction, and Subjectivity and objectivity (philosophy), subjective experience. Philosophy, politics, architecture, and soc ...

, spectral music and

electronic music Electronic music broadly is a group of music genres that employ electronic musical instruments, circuitry-based music technology and software, or general-purpose electronics (such as personal computers) in its creation. It includes both music ...

to make up what ''Gramophone'' has called "the composer's vivid, transfixing sound worlds". Anderson's first orchestral piece, ''Diptych'', was completed in 1990, and achieved great success, as did Khorovod (completed in 1994) and ''Alhambra Fantasy'' (2000), both composed for the

London Sinfonietta The London Sinfonietta is an English contemporary chamber music, chamber orchestra founded in 1968 and based in London. The ensemble has headquarters at Kings Place and is Resident Orchestra at the Southbank Centre. Since its inaugural concert ...

. The latter work has been performed by the Ensemble InterContemporain, the Asko Ensemble and the Ensemble Modern, often under the direction of

Oliver Knussen Stuart Oliver Knussen (12 June 1952 – 8 July 2018) was a British composer of contemporary classical music and conductor. Among the most influential British composers of his generation, his relatively few compositions are "rooted in 20th-cen ...

, who was, until his death in 2018, a regular collaborator and advocate for Anderson's music. His first work written for the CBSO, ''Imagin'd Corners'', premiered in 2002, was described by the ''Daily Telegraph'' as "seeth ngwith variety of texture, dynamics and colour, from the atmospheric stillness of the opening to the high density and tumult as the piece reaches its final climax. This is a fine score, full of optimism and real creative drive." A year later, ''Symphony'' was composed for the CBSO and their chief conductor Sakari Oramo. In the last decade, Anderson has written a large amount of unaccompanied choral music, including ''O Sing Unto the Lord'' for Westminster Cathedral, ''I Saw Eternity'' (2003, first performed by the London Philharmonic Choir) and the ''Four American Choruses'' (2001-4, for the City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus and their conductor Simon Halsey, who gave their first UK performance in 2005). While appearing simpler in style than his instrumental music, these pieces are often related to the larger works, both technically (for example 'At the Fountain', the last of the ''Four American Choruses'', has the same melodic and harmonic basis as a passage from ''Alhambra Fantasy'') and aesthetically (the American poet

Emily Dickinson Emily Elizabeth Dickinson (December 10, 1830 – May 15, 1886) was an American poet. Little-known during her life, she has since been regarded as one of the most important figures in American poetry. Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massac ...

is a recurring presence, as are themes of non-denominational spirituality or a secularised Christianity). Anderson has also used both live and pre-recorded electronics in his large-scale ''

Book of Hours A book is a structured presentation of recorded information, primarily verbal and graphical, through a medium. Originally physical, electronic books and audiobooks are now existent. Physical books are objects that contain printed material, ...

'' for 20 players and electronics, composed for the

Birmingham Contemporary Music Group Birmingham Contemporary Music Group (BCMG) is a British chamber ensemble based in Birmingham, England specialising in the performance of Contemporary classical music, new and contemporary music. BCMG performs regularly at the CBSO Centre and Symph ...

, who gave the first performance in February 2005 with

. His third and final full orchestral work composed for Birmingham forces, ''Eden'', was first heard at the 2005 Cheltenham International Music Festival, played by the CBSO under

Martyn Brabbins Martyn Charles Brabbins (born 13 August 1959) is a British conductor. Biography The fourth of five children in his family, he learned to play the euphonium, and then the trombone during his youth at Towcester Studio Brass Band. He later studi ...

, and is an exploration of the non-tempered tuning of the harmonic series. This preoccupation with fusing tempered modality and non-tempered resonance is continued in his largest work to date, ''Heaven is Shy of Earth'', an oratorio for mezzo-soprano, chorus and orchestra lasting nearly 35 minutes, commissioned by the BBC for the 2006 Promenade Concerts, where it was premiered by singer Angelika Kirchschlager and the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Sir Andrew Davis. A new version of that work, expanded through the addition of a new (third) movement, 'Gloria (with Bird)', was premiered at the

Barbican Centre The Barbican Centre is a performing arts centre in the Barbican Estate of the City of London, England, and the largest of its kind in Europe. The centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings a ...

on 26 November 2010 with Susan Bickley as the soloist. Further choral-orchestral works came in the shape of ''Alleluia'' for chorus and orchestra, composed for the reopening of the

Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,700-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London, England. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge, in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is a G ...

("The London Philharmonic Choir, with nowhere to hide in such a revealing acoustic, maintained pitch admirably and delivered a virtuoso cadenza of animated susurration"), and the shorter ''Harmony'', commissioned as the opening work for the 2013 season of the BBC Proms. In between these came ''Fantasias'', a 25-minute orchestral work premiered by the Cleveland Orchestra in November 2009 displaying a new interest in multi-movement structures, and ''The Discovery of Heaven'', commissioned and premiered as part of Anderson's composer residency with the

London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) is a British orchestra based in London. One of five permanent symphony orchestras in London, the LPO was founded by the conductors Thomas Beecham, Sir Thomas Beecham and Malcolm Sargent in 1932 as a riv ...

; the latter two works feature on a recent portrait disc of the composer by the same orchestra. An earlier portrait disc, ''Alhambra Fantasy'', featuring five of Anderson's orchestral and ensemble pieces conducted by

, won the 2007 ''

Gramophone A phonograph, later called a gramophone, and since the 1940s a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogue reproduction of sound. The sound vibration waveforms are recorded as corresponding physic ...

'' Best of Category (Contemporary)

Award An award, sometimes called a distinction, is given to a recipient as a token of recognition of excellence in a certain field. When the token is a medal, ribbon or other item designed for wearing, it is known as a decoration. An award may be d ...

, from a shortlist which also included the NMC disc ''Book of Hours''. (Both CDs were released in 2006, and were the first two commercially available discs entirely devoted to Anderson's work.) In May 2014 Anderson's first opera, ''Thebans'', received its world premiere at

English National Opera English National Opera (ENO) is a British opera company based in London, resident at the London Coliseum in St Martin's Lane. It is one of the two principal opera companies in London, along with The Royal Opera. ENO's productions are sung in E ...

, conducted by Edward Gardner. Playwright Frank McGuinness wrote the three-act libretto based on Sophocles' three Theban plays: ''Oedipus the King'', ''Oedipus at Colonus'' and ''Antigone''. Pierre Audi, Artistic Director of the De Nederlandse Opera, directed the co-production between English National Opera and Theater Bonn. Anderson received two

Ivor Novello Award The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the Welsh entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and Musical composition, composing. They have been presented annually in London by the The Ivors Academy, Ivors Academy, formerly called the Britis ...

nominations at The Ivors Classical Awards 2024. Mitternachtslied, for soprano and ensemble, received a nomination for Best Chamber Ensemble Composition and ECHOES, for solo baritone, chorus and orchestra, received a nomination for Best Orchestral Composition in association with Dorico.

Works

Dramatic * ''Towards Poetry'', ballet (1999; extended version for dance of ''Poetry Nearing Silence'' (1997)) * ''The Comedy of Change'', ballet, chamber ensemble (2009), commissioned by

Ballet Rambert Rambert (known as Rambert Dance Company before 2014) is a leading British dance company. Formed at the start of the 20th century as a classical ballet company, it exerted a great deal of influence on the development of dance in the United Kingd ...

* ''Thebans'' (2010–14), for

Orchestral * ''Diptych'' (1988–90) * ''Tye's Cry'', string orchestra (1995) * ''Past Hymns'', string orchestra (1996) * ''The Crazed Moon'' (1996–97) * ''The Stations of the Sun'' (1997–98) * ''Alhambra Fantasy'', chamber orchestra (1998–2000) * ''The Bird Sings with its Fingers'', four choreographic sketches for chamber orchestra (2000) * ''Imagin’d Corners'', five horns and orchestra (2001–02) * Symphony No. 1 (2002–03) * ''Eden'' (2004–05) * ''Fantasias'' (2007–09) * ''The Discovery of Heaven'' (2011) *''In lieblicher Bläue'', solo violin and orchestra (2014–15) *''Incantesimi'' (2015–16) * ''The Imaginary Museum'', concerto for piano and orchestra (2016–17) * ''Litanies'', solo cello and orchestra (2018–19) * Symphony No. 2 ''Prague Panoramas'' (2019–21) Chamber Music * String Quartet No. 1 ''Light Music'' (1984–85) * ''Ring Dance'', two violins/cellos (1987) * ''Scherzo (with Trains)'', four clarinets (1993) * ''Khorovod'', chamber ensemble (1988–94, rev. 1995) * ''Tiramisù'', chamber ensemble (1993–94, rev. 1995) * ''The Bearded Lady'', oboe/clarinet and piano (1994) * ''The Colour of Pomegranates'', alto flute and piano (1994) * ''Bach Machine'', chamber ensemble (1997) * ''Poetry Nearing Silence'', chamber ensemble (1996–97) (also as ballet ''Towards Poetry'') * ''Book of Hours'', ensemble and electronics (2002–04) * ''Transferable Resistance'', brass ensemble (2010) * String Quartet No. 2 ''300 Weihnachtslieder'' (2014) *''Van Gogh Blue'', chamber ensemble (2015) * String Quartet No. 3 ''Hana no hanataba'' (2017–18) * ''Fanfare SC-GH'', two trumpets (2018) * ''String Quartet No. 4'' (2023-24) * ''Ice Quartet'', (String Quartet No.5) (2023-24) Instrumental Piano: * Piano Études Nos. 1–4 (1995–99) * ''Somewhere near Cluj'', solo piano (1998) * ''Quasi una passacaglia'', solo piano (2002) * ''Steps'', solo piano (2003) * ''Old Bells'', solo piano (2004) * ''Sensation'', solo piano (2015–16) * ''Capriccio'', solo piano (2017) Other: * ''Prayer'', solo viola (2009) * ''Another Prayer'', solo violin (2012) * ''Catalan Peasant with Guitar'', solo guitar (2015) * ''Landscapes'', solo cello (2018-19) * ''Mime'', solo clarinet (2020) Vocal * ''Seadrift'', soprano and chamber ensemble (1988–93) * ''I'm nobody, who are you?'', tenor, violin and piano (1995) * ''Shir Hashirim'', soprano and orchestra (2001) * ''Lucretius'', soprano and percussion (2008) * ''Tombeau'', soprano and piano trio (2017) Choral * ''SING'', unaccompanied chorus (1981–82, rev. 2019) * ''O Sing Unto the Lord'', SATB chorus (1999) * ''Four American Choruses'', mixed voices (2002–2003) * ''I Saw Eternity'', unaccompanied chorus (2003) * ''My Beloved Spake'', SATB chorus and organ (2006) * ''Heaven is Shy of Earth'', mezzo-soprano, chorus and orchestra (2005–06, rev. 2009–10) * ''Alleluia'', choir and orchestra (2007) * ''Bell Mass'', choir and organ (2010) * ''Harmony'', choir and orchestra (2013) * ''Magnificat'', unaccompanied chorus (2016) * ''Nunc dimittis'', unaccompanied chorus (2016–17) * ''Evening canticles'', choir and organ (2018) * ''Exiles'', soprano, choir and orchestra (2021) Anderson's music is published by

Schott Music Schott Music () is one of the oldest German music publishers. It is also one of the largest music publishing houses in Europe, and is the second-oldest music publisher after Breitkopf & Härtel. The company headquarters of Schott Music were foun ...

. Works written before 2014 are published by Faber Music.

Awards

* 1993 Royal Philharmonic Society's Young Composer Prize * 2001 South Bank Show Award for the Best New Dance Work for ''The Bird Sings with its Fingers'' * 2004 British Composer Award for ''Symphony'' * 2006 Royal Philharmonic Society Music Award for Large-Scale Composition for ''Book of Hours'' * 2007 Best of Category (Contemporary) Gramophone Award Winner for the recording ''Alhambra Fantasy'' (BBC Sinfonietta / Oliver Knussen) * 2011 British Composer Awards for ''Fantasias'' and ''Bell Mass'' * 2013 South Bank Show Award for ''The Discovery of Heaven'' and for education work with the London Philharmonic Orchestra * 2015 British Composer Awards for ''Thebans'' and ''String Quartet No. 2'' * 2016 Royal Philharmonic Society Music Award for Chamber-Scale Composition for ''Van Gogh Blue'' * 2017 BBC Music Magazine Premiere Award for ''In lieblicher Bläue'' and ''Alleluia'' (LPO Label) * 2023 Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition for ''Litanies''

References

External links

Profile on Schott Music websiteProfile on Faber Music websiteFaculty page at Guildhall School of Music and Drama
{{DEFAULTSORT:Anderson, Julian David English classical composers 20th-century British classical composers 21st-century British classical composers 1967 births Living people People educated at Westminster School, London Pupils of Alexander Goehr Alumni of the Royal College of Music Alumni of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge Academics of the Royal College of Music Harvard University faculty English male classical composers 20th-century English composers 20th-century British male musicians 20th-century British musicians 21st-century British male musicians Commanders of the Order of the British Empire