Robin Holloway

Robin Holloway was born on October 19 1943 in Leamington Spa, where his parents, both trained as artists, were stationed as part of the wartime camouflage operation. Thence Walsall, and from the late 1940s, South London. 1953-7 chorister at St Paul's Cathedral. Further Education, King's College School Wimbledon. Read English at King's College Cambridge, changing to Music in his third year, alongside private composition sessions with Alexander Goehr. 1965 New College Oxford, to begin doctorate on Debussy and Wagner (eventually published as a book). Studentship (1967) then Research Fellowship (1969) at Caius College, Cambridge. 1974 Assistant Lectureship (at the fifth attempt!) at Cambridge Music Faculty; full Lectureship from 1980; Readership in Musical Composition from 1999, Professorship in Musical Composition 2001.

Musical composition is the raison d'etre. Copious splurging from the St Paul's days, drying out mid-teens to early twenties, picking up thereafter and gradually developing an individual voice.

Some landmarks: First Concerto for Orchestra (1966-9);Scenes from Schumann (1970); Domination of Black (1973-4); Clarissa (1976); Second Concerto for Orchestra (1978-9); Brand (1981);Seascape and Harvest (1983-4);Peer Gynt (1984-97);The Spacious Firmament (1990);Boys and Girls Come out to Play (1991);Third Concerto for Orchestra (1981-94);Scenes from Antwerp (1997);Symphony (1996-9);1st String Quartet (2003); 2nd String Quartet (2004); Fourth Concerto for Orchestra (2003-5). Plus numerous songs, concertos, pieces for chorus, for ensemble, and for small orchestra.
See the complete list, below.

Also much journalism and broadcasting - frequent articles and book reviews in e.g., T.L.S., Tempo,Musical Times;from 1988 a monthly music column in the Spectator. Also contributions to rather more up-market education symposia on, e.g., Wagner, Strauss, Berg, Britten, Haydn, Janacek, Debussy, Elgar.

RH, August 2005

List of Compositions
Publications
Resumé of Teaching