Born: 1952, Glasgow, U.K.
Died: 2018, Snape, U.K.

Born into a musical family, Oliver Knussen began composing at the age of six. Equally precocious as a conductor, he made his debut with the London Symphony at the age of 15, substituting for István Kertész in the premiere of his own First Symphony. In the mid-1980s, Knussen created two fantasy operas with famed illustrator Maurice Sendak, Where the Wild Things Are and Higglety Pigglety Pop!, which have been widely staged and were recorded on video and CD by Deutsche Grammophon. Knussen had a fruitful 30-year history with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, which has performed many of his pieces, including his Symphony No. 3, his violin and cello concertos, and Where the Wild Things Are; Knussen also conducted the orchestra and the New Music Group.

Further listening:
Horn Concerto (1994), Music for a Puppet Court (1983), with Barry Tuckwell, London Sinfonietta, Oliver Knussen (DG)
Violin Concerto (2002), with Leila Josefowicz, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Oliver Knussen (NMC)