A fellow student of Alexander Goehr and Peter Maxwell Davies at the Royal Manchester College of Music, Harrison Birtwistle began his professional career as a clarinettist before developing his interests in composition to become one of the leading English composers of his generation. He was knighted in 1988. His interest in theatre is reflected in his stage works and in the seven-year period he spent as music director at the National Theatre in London. His personal musical language reflects influences from Stravinsky, Varèse, Webern, Messiaen, Boulez and Stockhausen, brought together into a remarkable synthesis with his own innovative approach to drama in music. Birtwistle’s compositions include a wide variety of works (orchestral, instrumental ...