9/17/2015

JudithWeirLongBiographyMusicSalesClassical

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Composers
Judith Weir
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Judith Weir
Born: 1954
Nationality: British
Publisher: Chester Music
Photo Chris Christodoulou

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JudithWeirwasbornintoaScottishfamilyin1954,butgrewupnearLondon.She
wasanoboeplayer,performingwiththeNationalYouthOrchestraofGreatBritain,
andstudiedcompositionwithJohnTavenerduringherschooldays.Shewentonto
CambridgeUniversity,wherehercompositionteacherwasRobinHollowayandin
1975attendedsummerschoolatTanglewood,wheresheworkedwithGunther
Schuller.Afterthisshespentseveralyearsworkinginschoolsandadulteducationin
ruralsouthernEnglandfollowedbyaperiodbasedinScotland,teachingatGlasgow
UniversityandRSAMD.
Duringthistimeshebegantowriteaseriesofoperas(includingKingHaraldsSaga,
TheBlackSpider,ANightattheChineseOpera,TheVanishingBridegroomand
BlondEckbert)whichhavesubsequentlyreceivedmanyperformancesintheUK,
Germany,Austria,theNetherlands,BelgiumandtheUSA.Themostrecentoperais
MissFortune,premieredatBregenzin2011,andthenstagedattheRoyalOpera
HouseCoventGardenin2012.
AsresidentcomposerwiththeCityofBirminghamSymphonyOrchestrainthe1990s,
shewroteseveralworksfororchestraandchorus(includingForest,StormandWe
areShadows)whichwerepremieredbytheorchestrasthenMusicDirector,Simon
Rattle.ShehasbeencommissionedbytheBostonSymphonyOrchestra(Music
UntangledandNaturalHistory)theMinnesotaOrchestra(TheWelcomeArrivalof
Rain)andtheLondonSinfonietta(TigerundertheTable)andhaswrittenconcert
worksforsomenotablesingers,includingJaneManning,DawnUpshaw,Jessye
NormanandAliceCoote.HerlatestvocalworkisGoodMorning,Midnight,premieredbySarahConnollyandtheAurora
OrchestrainMay2015.
ShenowlivesinLondon,whereshehashadalongassociationwithSpitalfieldsMusicFestivalandinrecentyearshas
taughtasavisitingprofessoratPrinceton,HarvardandCardiffuniversities.HonoursforherworkincludetheCriticsCircle,
SouthBankShow,EliseLStoegerandIvorNovelloawards,aCBE(1995)andtheQueensMedalforMusic(2007).In2014
shewasappointedMasterofTheQueensMusicinsuccessiontoSirPeterMaxwellDavies.InJanuary2015shebecame
AssociateComposertotheBBCSingers.
Muchofhermusichasbeenrecorded,andisavailableontheNMC,DelphianandSignumlabels.In201415therewere
releasesofTheVanishingBridegroom(NMC)andStorm(BBCSingers/Signum).

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