Kenneth Leighton

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Kenneth Leighton (born October 2, 1929 in Wakefield , † August 24, 1988 in Edinburgh ) was an English composer and professor .

Life

Leighton, who sang along as a choirboy at Wakefield Cathedral at an early age and obtained a diploma as a pianist during his school days in 1946, studied classical philology at Queen's College (Oxford) from 1947 to 1951 , then with Bernard Rose (composition), which led to a study visit in 1951 joined Goffredo Petrassi in Rome. 1952 to 1953 he taught at the Royal Marine School of Music in Deal (Kent) , from 1953 at the University of Leeds . From 1955 to 1968 Leighton was a member of the music faculty at the University of Edinburgh and from 1968 lecturer in music at Worcester College , Oxford. In 1970 he became Reid Professor of Music at the University of Edinburgh and held this position until his death in 1988. Leighton appeared frequently as a pianist, several times as a conductor of his own works.

During his studies Leighton received several composition prizes, including a Mendelssohn Scholarship in 1951 . This was followed by the Busoni Piano Composition Prize in 1956 , the National Federation of Music Societies Prize for the best choral composition of the year in 1960, and the City of Trieste Prize in 1965 for a new symphonic work (his 1st symphony ).

plant

Leighton's musical oeuvre encompasses almost all types of work, including 3 symphonies (the third with the title Laudes musicae includes a solo tenor, a fourth remained unfinished), solo concerts (including 3 piano concertos), 2 operas, chamber music and vocal compositions, also a number of sacred works and Organ music. Many of the 100 or so published works by Leighton were commissioned, for example for the BBC .

Many of his works are available on phonograms, including a. at the British labels Chandos and Hyperion .

literature

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personal data
SURNAME Leighton, Kenneth
BRIEF DESCRIPTION English composer
DATE OF BIRTH October 2, 1929
PLACE OF BIRTH Wakefield
DATE OF DEATH August 24, 1988
Place of death Edinburgh