Who was Harrison Birtwistle? Obituary and Cause of Death, Family, Aged 87

Sir Harrison Birtwistle was an English composer of contemporary classical music best known for his operas, often based on mythological subjects.

Among his many compositions, his better-known works include The Triumph of Time (1972) and the operas The Mask of Orpheus (1986), Gawain (1991), and The Minotaur (2008).

Harrison Birtwistle, a ferociously modernist composer, died at the age of 87.

Harrison Birtwistle, the most important British composer since Benjamin Britten, died on Monday at his home in Mere, England. His powerfully theatrical compositions and uncompromising modernism made him the most prominent British composer since Benjamin Britten. He was 87 years old when he died.

A spokeswoman for his music publisher, Boosey & Hawkes, confirmed his death.

Harrison Birtwistle, the most important British composer since Benjamin Britten, died on Monday at his home in Mere, England. His powerfully theatrical compositions and uncompromising modernism made him the most prominent British composer since Benjamin Britten. He was 87 years old when he died.

A spokeswoman for his music publisher, Boosey & Hawkes, confirmed his death.

The cause of his death is still unknown.

Harrison Birtwistle Age, Family, and Early Life

Harrison Birtwistle was born on 15 July 1934 in Accrington, a mill town in Lancashire around 20 miles north of Manchester. However, we don’t have any information regarding his parents.

As of now, we don’t have much information regarding his personal life.

We will update this section soon.

Harrison Birtwistle Career, What was his profession?

Though well established in the classical music world, Birtwistle was relatively unknown to the general public until the mid-1990s, when two events increased his profile with the wider audience. The following year, Birtwistle’s saxophone concertante work Panic was premiered in the second half of the Last Night of the Proms to an estimated worldwide television audience of 100 million. In 1994 two anti-modernist musicians, Frederick Stocken and Keith Burstein, calling themselves “The Hecklers”, organized a demonstration on the first night of a revival of his opera Gawain at the Royal Opera House, London.

Birtwistle served as Director of Music at Cranborne Chase School from 1962 until 1965, before continuing his studies at Princeton University on a Harkness Fellowship, where he completed the opera Punch and Judy.

Birtwistle had a stroke in 2021, and died at his home in Mere, Wiltshire, on 18 April 2022, aged 87. This work, together with Verses for Ensembles and The Triumph of Time, led to greater exposure for Birtwistle in the classical music world. At the 2006 Ivor Novello Awards he criticized pop musicians at the event for performing too loudly and using too many clichés. In 1972 he wrote the accompanying music to The Offence, starring Sean Connery, his only film score. In 1975 Birtwistle became musical director of the newly established Royal National Theatre in London, a post he held until 1983.

Birtwistle had a low media profile, but occasionally gave interviews. In 1995 he was awarded the Ernst von Siemens Music Prize.

Which school did he go to?

He received a clarinet scholarship to the Royal Manchester College of Music in Manchester in 1952. He met contemporaries including Peter Maxwell Davies, Alexander Goehr, John Ogdon, and Elgar Howarth when he was there.

Harrison then served with the Royal Artillery (Plymouth) Band, based in Oswestry, for two years of National Service.

Harrison Birtwistle Wife, What about his relationship?

He was a married man and is married to Sheila Birtwistle. And they have a son together, Adam Birtwistle.

Harrison Birtwistle Net Worth, How much does he earn?

The net worth of Harrison Birtwistle is about $10 million.

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Is he available on any kind of social media platform?

According to our research team, he does not seem to be available on any social media.

Body Appearance of Harrison Birtwistle Height, Weight

Interesting facts about Harrison Birtwistle you should be know