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In Memoriam, Nicholas Maw: November 5, 1935-May 19, 2009

Jun. 04, 2009

Nicholas Maw, one of Britain's most notable composers, passed away peacefully at his home in Washington, DC on May 19. He was 73. Maw has been published exclusively by Faber Music since 1981. He was performed the world over by leading international conductors including Sir Simon Rattle, Sir Mark Elder, Sir Roger Norrington, Sir John Pritchard, Andre Previn, Sir Neville Marriner, Sir Andrew Davis, David Zinman and Raymond Leppard. His works were premiered by leading ensembles and organizations including the BBC, The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, The Philharmonia Orchestra, and the London Sinfonietta.

Maw's career as a composer was official when at age 26, he composed Scenes and Arias for the BBC Proms, immediately putting him at the forefront of the British music scene. Now, 47 years later, this commission is considered one of the great British compositions of the 1960s. Other notable works include the single, unbroken 96-minute Odyssey for orchestra, said to be the longest piece of continuous symphonic music ever written. In 1993, Maw composed his Violin Concerto for Joshua Bell, whose recording with the London Philharmonic Orchestra won a Grammy Award and the Mercury Prize. His third opera, Sophie's Choice,based on the novel by William Styron and written for the BBC Radio 3 and the Royal Opera, Covent Garden, saw its long awaited premiere at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in 2002 in a production by Trevor Nunn, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle to great acclaim and sold-out performances. In the last years of his life his music had a huge number of performances throughout the UK and in major cities throughout the United States.

Nicholas Maw attended the Royal Academy of Music and, in Paris, was a student of Nadia Boulanger and Max Deutsch. As a teacher, Maw saw appointments to the faculties of Trinity College Cambridge, Exeter and Yale University. At the time of his passing, he was Professor of Composition at the Peabody Conservatory, Baltimore.

For more on the life and music of Nicholas Maw, please visit www.fabermusic.com

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