Richard Blackford (born 13 January 1954, London) is a British composer.

Biography

Richard Blackford studied privately with Elisabeth Lutyens and at the Royal College of Music. He spent a number of years as Henze’s assistant in Italy, where he received his first commissions while immersed in the European avant-garde. He returned to London in 1977 to turn his sights to the dramatic potential of music: he received two commissions for children’s operas and embarked on his career as a composer for the screen which has resulted in over eighty scores for film and television. The mid-1990s saw a renewed focus on lyrical and eloquent works for the concert hall, notably the poignant and eclectic oratorio Voices of Exile. Publisher Novello & Company

Career highlights

• 1974 - Leverhulme Scholarship to study in Rome with Henze; wins Mendelssohn Scholarship and Tagore Gold Medal.
• 1990 - premiere of the musical King, with lyrics by Maya Angelou, at London’s Piccadilly Theatre.
• 1990-5 - Director of Music at the Royal Ballet School where he wrote ballet Plea to Autumn performed at the Royal Opera House.
• 2000 - Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Achievement In Music for Millennium (CNN).

Key works

• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (1978; soloists,children’s and adult choruses, orchestra)
• String Quartet: ‘Canticles of Light’ (1979)
• Mirror of Perfection (1996; soprano, baritone,chorus, orchestra)
• The Ride of the Valkyries (2003; eight pianos,percussion)
• Voices of Exile (2001, rev.2004; soloists,children’s and adult choruses, orchestra)
• Rowing in Eden (2004; soprano, piano)
• Barbara Wood - Das Haus Der Harmonie (2005; German-Singapore movie soundtrack)

Selected recordings

• Mirror of Perfection - Sony Classical SK60285
• On Another’s Sorrow - Signum Classics SIGCD059
• Voices of Exile - Quartz Records

External links

• Richard Blackford's homepage at Novello & Co

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