Stuart Oliver Knussen CBE was born on June 12, 1952, and passed away on July 8, 2018. He was a British composer and conductor who created music in the contemporary classical style. He was one of the most important British composers of his time. Although he wrote relatively few works, his music was based on ideas from the 20th-century modernist movement. However, he did not follow the style of any specific group, but instead developed his own unique approach.

Early life

Oliver Knussen was born in Glasgow, Scotland. His father, Stuart Knussen, was the leader of the double bass section in the London Symphony Orchestra and helped perform new works of Benjamin Britten's music. Oliver Knussen learned how to write music from John Lambert from 1963 to 1969 and also received support from Britten. He spent summers learning from Gunther Schuller at Tanglewood in Massachusetts and in Boston.

Musical life

Knussen started composing music around the age of six. A television program about his father’s work with the London Symphony Orchestra led to the creation of his first symphony (1966–1967). At 15 years old, Knussen conducted the first performance of his symphony at the Royal Festival Hall in London on April 7, 1968, after the original conductor, István Kertész, became ill. Soon after, Daniel Barenboim invited Knussen to conduct the first two movements of the symphony in New York one week later. In this work and his Concerto for Orchestra (1968–1970), Knussen showed a strong understanding of the styles of modern composers like Britten and Berg, as well as American symphonists from the mid-20th century. He also demonstrated a unique ability to control the timing and arrangement of the orchestra.

Julian Anderson noted that Knussen’s distinct style as a composer became clear in his Second Symphony (1970–1971).

In the 1980s, Knussen created two children’s operas: Where the Wild Things Are and Higglety Pigglety Pop!, both based on books by Maurice Sendak. Where the Wild Things Are had its first performance in New York in November 1986 by the New York City Opera, which later performed it again in April 2011.

From 1986 to 1993, Knussen led contemporary music programs at Tanglewood.

A widely praised orchestral piece from 1994 is his Horn Concerto, written for Barry Tuckwell. This work blends the rich sounds of early 20th-century music with modern ideas about rhythm and melody.

Knussen was awarded a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1994 Birthday Honours.

Between 1992 and 1996, Knussen was the principal guest conductor of Het Residentie Orkest in The Hague. From 1983 to 1998, he co-led the Aldeburgh Festival. From 1998 to 2002, he was the music director of the London Sinfonietta and later became its conductor laureate.

In 2005, Knussen served as the music director of the Ojai Music Festival.

Knussen composed Songs for Sue, a piece based on four poems for soprano and a 15-piece ensemble, as a tribute to his late wife. The piece premiered in Chicago in 2006.

From September 2006, Knussen worked with the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group. From 2009, he was associated with the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

As of autumn 2012, Knussen was writing a symphonic adagio for the Philadelphia Orchestra. He also planned to complete two concertos—a piano concerto and a cello concerto—that he had been working on for several years.

Knussen has conducted recordings of works by composers such as Modest Mussorgsky, Ruth Crawford Seeger, Elliott Carter, Igor Stravinsky, Hans Werner Henze, Toru Takemitsu, Colin Matthews, Alexander Goehr, Robin Holloway, and Poul Ruders.

Personal life

Knussen was married to Sue Knussen, a producer and director of music shows for BBC television and the UK's Channel 4. She created Leaving Home, a series of seven one-hour programmes about 20th-century music, hosted by Simon Rattle. This series won the 1996 BAFTA award for "Best Arts Series." In the late 1990s, Sue led the education department of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Knussen and Sue had a daughter, Sonya Knussen, who is a mezzo-soprano. Sue Knussen passed away in London in 2003 due to a blood infection. The Sue Knussen Composers Fund (formerly the Sue Knussen Commissioning Fund) "honours her memory and professional legacy…and…commissions works from new composers to be performed by contemporary music ensembles worldwide."

Knussen lived in Snape, Suffolk, a place where composer Benjamin Britten worked during a highly creative time in his life. The Snape Maltings concert hall is where the Aldeburgh Festival takes place.

Knussen died on 8 July 2018, at the age of 66.

Compositions

• Symphony No. 1, Op. 1 (1967–68), for orchestra (withdrawn)
• Processionals, Op. 2 (1968/78), for small group of musicians
• Masks, Op. 3 (1969), for solo flute and glass chimes (optional)
• Concerto for Orchestra (1969)
• Symphony in One Movement, Op. 5 (1969/2002), for orchestra – a revised version of the Concerto for Orchestra
• Hums and Songs of Winnie-the-Pooh, Op. 6 (1970/83), for soprano singing alone, flute, cor anglais, clarinet, percussion, and cello
• Three Little Fantasies, Op. 6a (1970/83), for wind quintet
• Symphony No. 2, Op. 7 (1970–71), for high soprano and small orchestra [winner of the Margaret Grant Prize at Tanglewood]
• Choral, Op. 8 (1970–72), for wind instruments, percussion, and double basses
• Turba (1971/76), for double bass solo
• Rosary Songs, Op. 9 (1972), for soprano singing alone, clarinet, piano, and viola
• Océan de Terre, Op. 10 (1972–73/76), for soprano and small group of musicians
• Study for Metamorphosis (1972, revised in 2018), for bassoon solo
• Music for a Puppet Court (after John Lloyd), Op. 11 (1973/83), "puzzle pieces" for two small orchestras
• Trumpets, Op. 12 (1975), for soprano and three clarinets
• Ophelia Dances Book 1, Op. 13 (1975), for flute, cor anglais, clarinet, horn, piano, celesta, and string trio [Koussevitzky centennial commission]
• Autumnal, Op. 14 (1976–77), for violin and piano
• Cantata Op. 15 (1977), for oboe and string trio
• Sonya's Lullaby Op. 16 (1978–79), for piano solo
• Scriabin Settings (1978)
• Coursing, Op. 17 (1979), for large group of musicians
• Symphony No. 3, Op. 18 (1973–79), for orchestra
• Frammenti da Chiara, Op. 19a (1975/86), for two antiphonal "a cappella" female choirs
• Where the Wild Things Are, Op. 20 (1979–83), fantasy opera, libretto by Maurice Sendak
• Songs and a Sea Interlude, Op. 20a (1979–81), for soprano and orchestra
• The Wild Rumpus, Op. 20b (1983), for orchestra
• Higglety Pigglety Pop!, Op. 21 (1984–85, revised 1999), fantasy opera, libretto by Maurice Sendak
• Fanfares for Tanglewood (1986), for thirteen brass instruments and three groups of percussion
• The Way to Castle Yonder, Op. 21a (1988–90), for orchestra
• Flourish with Fireworks, Op. 22 (1988, revised 1993), for orchestra
• Four Late Poems and an Epigram of Rilke, Op. 23 (1988), soprano singing alone
• Variations, Op. 24 (1989), for piano solo, written for pianist Peter Serkin
• Secret Psalm (1990), for violin solo
• Whitman Settings, Op. 25 (1991/92) for soprano and piano; Op. 25a (1992) version for soprano and orchestra
• Songs without Voices, Op. 26 (1991–92), for flute, cor anglais, clarinet, horn, piano, and string trio
• Elegiac Arabesques (in memory of Andrzej Panufnik), Op. 26a (1991), for cor anglais and clarinet
• Two Organa, Op. 27 (1994), for large group of musicians
• Horn Concerto, Op. 28 (1994), for horn solo and orchestra
• "…upon one note" (fantasia after Purcell) (1995), for clarinet, piano, and string trio
• Prayer Bell Sketch (in memory of Tōru Takemitsu), Op. 29 (1997), for piano solo
• Eccentric Melody (for Elliott Carter's 90th birthday) (1998), for cello solo
• Violin Concerto, Op. 30 (2002), for violin solo and orchestra
• Cleveland Pictures Op. 31 (2003–09, unfinished). First performed at Snape Maltings on June 24, 2022, by the BBC Symphony Orchestra
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Discography (as performer)

• Poul Ruders, Hans Abrahamsen – Chamber Works, performed by the London Sinfonietta, recorded by Paula Records in 1985
• Knussen – Where the Wild Things Are, performed by the London Sinfonietta, recorded by Arabasque Records in 1985
• Elliott Carter – Chamber Works, performed by The Fires of London and the London Sinfonietta, recorded by Wergo Records in 1985
• Benjamin Britten – The Prince of the Pagodas, performed by the London Sinfonietta, recorded by Virgin Classics in 1990
• Alexander Goehr – Chamber Works, performed by the London Sinfonietta, recorded by Unicorn-Kanchana in 1991
• Carter – Orchestral Works, performed by the London Sinfonietta, recorded by Virgin Classics in 1992
• Goehr – Sing, Ariel, The Mouse Metamorphosed into A Maid, performed by Lucy Shelton, Eileen Hulse, Sarah Leonard, and the Instrumental Ensemble, recorded by Unicorn-Kanchana in 1992
• Ruders – Chamber Works, performed by Capricorn, recorded by Bridge Records in 1992
• Harrison Birtwistle – Chamber Works, performed by the London Sinfonietta, recorded by NMC in 1993
• Aaron Copland – Grohg, etc., performed by The Cleveland Orchestra and the London Sinfonietta, recorded by Argo Records in 1994
• Igor Stravinsky – The Flood, etc., Charles Wuorinen – A Reliquary for Igor Stravinsky, performed by the London Sinfonietta, recorded by Deutsche Grammophon in 1995
• Colin Matthews – Broken symmetry, Suns dance, Fourth Sonata, performed by the London Sinfonietta, recorded by Deutsche Grammophon in 1995
• Goehr – Piano Concerto, performed by Peter Serkin and the London Sinfonietta, recorded by NMC in 1995
• Knussen – Orchestral, Vocal and Chamber Works, performed by Barry Tuckwell, Lucy Shelton, and the London Sinfonietta, recorded by Deutsche Grammophon in 1996
• Robert Saxton – Orchestral Works, performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, Oliver Knussen, recorded by EMI Classics in 1997
• Hans Werner Henze – Undine, performed by the London Sinfonietta, recorded by Deutsche Grammophon in 1997
• Stravinsky – The Fairy's Kiss, Faun And Shepherdess, Ode, performed by Lucy Shelton, The Cleveland Orchestra, recorded by Deutsche Grammophon in 1997
• Ruth Crawford Seeger – Portrait, performed by Lucy Shelton, Reinbert de Leeuw, New London Chamber Choir, James Wood, and the Schönberg Ensemble, recorded by Deutsche Grammophon in 1997
• Toru Takemitsu – Quotation of Dream, performed by the London Sinfonietta, recorded by Deutsche Grammophon in 1998
• Carter – Symphonia, Clarinet Concerto, performed by the London Sinfonietta and BBC Symphony Orchestra, recorded by Deutsche Grammophon in 1999
• Takemitsu – Riverrun, Water-ways, performed by Paul Crossley and the London Sinfonietta, recorded by Virgin Classics Digital in 1999
• Magnus Lindberg – Aura, Engine, performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra and London Sinfonietta, recorded by Deutsche Grammophon in 2000
• Peter Lieberson – Chamber Works, performed by Asko Ensemble and The Cleveland Orchestra, recorded by Deutsche Grammophon in 2001
• Knussen – Higglety Pigglety Pop! & Where The Wild Things Are, performed by the London Sinfonietta, recorded by Deutsche Grammophon in 2001
• Knussen – Hums And Songs of Winnie-the-Pooh and Other Chamber Works, performed by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, recorded by EMI Classics in 2002
• Modest Mussorgsky, orch Leopold Stokowski – Pictures at an Exhibition, Boris Godunov, Khovanschina, Night on a Bare Mountain, performed by The Cleveland Orchestra, recorded by Deutsche Grammophon in 2004
• Carter – Orchestral Works, performed by the London Sinfonietta, BBC Symphony Orchestra, and Asko Ensemble, recorded by Bridge Records in 2005
• Julian Anderson – Orchestral Works, performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra and London Sinfonietta, recorded by Ondine in 2006
• Takemitsu – Orchestral Works, performed by the London Sinfonietta and Rolf Hind, recorded by London Sinfonietta Label in 2006
• Knussen – Violin Concerto, Requiem, Songs For Sue, performed by soloists, BBC Symphony Orchestra, recorded by NMC in 2012
• Goehr – Marching To Carcassonne, performed by Peter Serkin, BBC Symphony Orchestra, and London Sinfonietta, recorded by Naxos Records in 2013
• Britten – The Rape of Lucretia, performed by Kirchschlager, Bostridge, Gritton, Purves, Russell, Coleman-Wright, Summers, Booth, and Aldeburgh Festival Ensemble, recorded by Virgin Classics in 2013
• Charlotte Bray – Caught in Treetops, performed by Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, recorded by NMC in 2014
• Takemitsu – Orchestral Concert (to Mark the 20th Anniversary of his Passing), performed by Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, recorded by Tower Records in 2017
• Carter – Late Works, performed by Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Colin Currie, Isabelle Faust, Jean-Guihen Queyras, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, and BBC Symphony Orchestra, recorded by Ondine in 2017
• Anderson – The Comedy of Change, Heaven Is Shy of Earth, performed by Susan Bickley, BBC Symphony Chorus, London Sinfonietta, and BBC Symphony Orchestra, recorded by Ondine in 2018
• Henze – Heliogabalus Imperator, Works For Orchestra, performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, recorded by Wergo Records in 2019