Harrison Birtwistle is one of the leading European figures in contemporary music * Works combine modernist aesthetic with mythic power and emotional impact * Inspiration from contemporary art and the rituals of classical mythology and pre-history * Orchestral works of recent decades include Panic composed for the Last Night of the BBC Proms, The Shadow of Night commissioned by the Cleveland Orchestra and concertos for violinist Christian Tetzlaff and pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard * Stageworks include The Last Supper for Glyndebourne, The Minotaur for The Royal Opera, The Io Passion, The Corridor and The Cure* Noted Birtwistle conductors include Boulez, Howarth, Eötvös, Knussen, Rattle, Dohnányi, Barenboim and Pappano * Winner of 1986 Grawemeyer Award, 1995 Siemens Prize and 2015 Wihuri Sibelius Prize * CD recordings on Decca, Deutsche Grammophon, Teldec, Etcetera, NMC, Black Box and CPO * The Minotaur is available on DVD from Opus Arte
Works by Harrison Birtwistle include: Pulse Shadows (1989-96) for soprano, chamber ensemble and string quartet The Shadow of Night (2001) for orchestra The Minotaur (2005-07) Opera in 13 scenes
Looking Ahead: first performances of Keyboard Engine for two pianos by Pierre-Laurent Aimard and Tamara Stefanovich at Aldeburgh Festival (18 Jun) and Carnegie Hall in New York (25 Oct); new fanfare for London Symphony Orchestra and Simon Rattle (16 Sep)
"A great original ... one of the most gifted composers of his generation." — The Times
