Joseph Horovitz is a British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 composer

Composer

A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...

 and conductor

Conducting

Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...

. Horovitz's family emigrated to England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 in 1938. He studied music

Music

Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...

 and modern languages at New College, Oxford

New College, Oxford

New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...

, and later attended the Royal College of Music

Royal College of Music

The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...

 in London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, studying composition

Musical composition

Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...

 with Gordon Jacob

Gordon Jacob

Gordon Percival Septimus Jacob was an English composer. He is known for his wind instrument composition and his instructional writings.-Life:...

. He then undertook a year of further study with Nadia Boulanger

Nadia Boulanger

Nadia Boulanger was a French composer, conductor and teacher who taught many composers and performers of the 20th century.From a musical family, she achieved early honours as a student at the Paris Conservatoire, but believing that her talent as a composer was inferior to that of her younger...

 in Paris

Paris

Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

. His musical career began in 1950, when he became music director at the Bristol Old Vic

Bristol Old Vic

The Bristol Old Vic is a theatre company based at the Theatre Royal, King Street, in Bristol, England. The theatre complex includes the 1766 Theatre Royal, which claims to be the oldest continually-operating theatre in England, along with a 1970s studio theatre , offices and backstage facilities...

. He was subsequently active as a conductor of ballet

Ballet

Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...

 and opera

Opera

Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...

, and toured Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

 and the United States.

Horovitz has been Professor of Composition at the Royal College of Music since 1961, and a Council Member of the Composers' Guild of Great Britain since 1970. Between 1969 and 1996 he belonged to the board of the Performing Rights Society. His works include 16 ballets, including Alice in Wonderland (1953), 2 one-act operas (The Dumb Wife, libretto

Libretto

A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...

 Peter Shaffer

Peter Shaffer

Sir Peter Levin Shaffer is an English dramatist and playwright, screenwriter and author of numerous award-winning plays, several of which have been filmed.-Early life:...

; Gentlemen’s Island, libretto Gordon Snell), and concerto

Concerto

A concerto is a musical work usually composed in three parts or movements, in which one solo instrument is accompanied by an orchestra.The etymology is uncertain, but the word seems to have originated from the conjunction of the two Latin words...

s for violin

Violin

The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....

, oboe

Oboe

The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...

, clarinet

Clarinet

The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...

, bassoon

Bassoon

The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family that typically plays music written in the bass and tenor registers, and occasionally higher. Appearing in its modern form in the 19th century, the bassoon figures prominently in orchestral, concert band and chamber music literature...

, trumpet

Trumpet

The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...

, euphonium

Euphonium

The euphonium is a conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument. It derives its name from the Greek word euphonos, meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced"...

, tuba

Tuba

The tuba is the largest and lowest-pitched brass instrument. Sound is produced by vibrating or "buzzing" the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the...

 and percussion

Percussion instrument

A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...

, as well as a popular and often performed jazz

Jazz

Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...

 concerto for harpsichord

Harpsichord

A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...

 or piano

Piano

The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...

.

A large number of his works have been written for wind orchestra

Concert band

A concert band, also called wind band, symphonic band, symphonic winds, wind orchestra, wind symphony, wind ensemble, or symphonic wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of several members of the woodwind instrument family, brass instrument family, and percussion instrument family.A...

 and brass band

Brass band

A brass band is a musical ensemble generally consisting entirely of brass instruments, most often with a percussion section. Ensembles that include brass and woodwind instruments can in certain traditions also be termed brass bands , but are usually more correctly termed military bands, concert...

. In 1959, he was awarded the Commonwealth Medal, and since then he has received many other awards for his compositions. His music for television

Television

Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...

 has included Lillie, Rumpole of the Bailey

Rumpole of the Bailey

Rumpole of the Bailey is a British television series created and written by the British writer and barrister John Mortimer which starred Leo McKern as Horace Rumpole, an ageing London barrister who defends any and all clients...

, The Search for the Nile, The Fight Against Slavery, Wessex Tales and Partners in Crime.

Orchestral Works

• 1948 Concertante for Clarinet and Strings
• 1963 Trumpet Concerto
• 1971 Sinfonietta for Light Orchestra
• 1972 Horizon Overture
• 1973 Valse
• 1976 Bassoon Concerto
• 1977 Jubilee Toy Symphony
• 1993 Oboe Concerto

Works for Wind Orchestra and Brass Band

• 1964 Three Pieces From Music Hall Suite for brass band
• 1970 Sinfonietta for brass band
  • 1. Allegro
  • 2. Lento moderato
  • 3. Con brio
• 1972 Euphonium Concerto for euphonium and wind orchestra
  • 1. Moderato
  • 2. Lento
  • 3. Con moto
• 1975 The Dong with a Luminous Nose for brass band
• 1977 Samson for baritone, mixed chorus and brass band
• 1983 Ballet for Band for brass band
• 1984 Bacchus on Blue Ridge: Divertimento for wind orchestra
  • 1. Moderato
  • 2. Blues
  • 3. Vivo
• 1985 Concertino Classico for 2 cornets (or trumpets) and brass band
  • 1. Con brio
  • 2. Larghetto
  • 3. Allegro rustico
• 1991 Fete Galante for wind orchestra
  • 1. Pavane
  • 2. Menuet
  • 3. Bourée des masques
• 1992 Dance Suite
  • 1. Allegro
  • 2. Andantino
  • 3. Vivace
• Ad Astra
• Commedia Dell'Arte
• Lillie Theme
• Theme and Co-Operation for brass band
• Tuba Concerto for tuba und brass band
  • 1. Allegro
  • 2. Andante
  • 3. Con Moto
• Wind-Harp

Other works

• 1952 Les Femmes d'Alger: Ballet in one act
• 1953 The Dumb Wife: Comic opera in one act
• 1953 Alice in Wonderland: Ballet in two acts
• 1958 Concerto for Dancers: Ballet in one act
• 1958 Gentleman's Island (libretto by Gordon Snell) in English or German for tenor, baritone and chamber orchestra
• 1961 Horrortorio (words by Alistair Sampson from a scenario by Maurice Richardson) for soloists, chorus and orchestra. It was performed at the Hoffnung
  Gerard Hoffnung
  Gerard Hoffnung was an artist and musician, best known for his humorous works.- Early years :Born in Berlin, and named Gerhard, he was the only child of a well-to-do Jewish couple, Hildegard and Ludwig Hoffnung...
  
   Astronautical Musical Festival
• 1962 Fantasia on a Theme of Couperin for wind nonet
• 1965 Let's Make a Ballet: Ballet in one act
• 1970 Captain Noah and his Floating Zoo
  Captain Noah and his Floating Zoo
  Captain Noah and His Floating Zoo is a cantata by Joseph Horovitz composed in a popular style for unison or two-part voices and piano, with optional bass and drums...
  
  : Cantata (text by Michael Flanders
  Michael Flanders
  Michael Henry Flanders OBE, was an English actor, broadcaster, and writer and performer of comic songs. He is best known to the general public for his partnership with Donald Swann performing as the duo Flanders and Swann....
  
  ) for mixed chorus with piano, double bass and percussion
• 1970 Lady Macbeth Scena for mezzo-soprano and piano
• 1975 Summer Sunday: a comical-tragical-ecological Pastoral for mixed choir and piano
• 1980 Miss Carter Wore Pink: Ballet in one act

Chamber Music

• 1964 Music Hall Suite for brass quintet
  • 1. Soubrette Song
  • 2. Trick-cyclists
  • 3. Adagio-team
  • 4. Soft shoe shuffle
  • 5. Les Girls
• 1976 Brass Polka for brass quartet
• 1969 String Quartet No. 5
• Sonatina, op. 3 for oboe and piano
• Quartet for oboe and strings, op. 18
• Ghetto Song for solo guitar
  Classical guitar
  The classical guitar is a 6-stringed plucked string instrument from the family of instruments called chordophones...
  
  
• 1981 Sonatina For Clarinet and Piano
  • 1. Allegro calmato
  • 2. Lento quasi Andante
  • 3. Con brio

External links

• Biography
• Joseph Horovitz's homepage at Novello & Co.