Adrian Sutton: Difference between revisions
←Created page with '{{short description|British composer (born 1967) of theatre and concert music}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2024}} '''Adrian Sutton''' (born 1967) is a British composer, best known for his theatre music. He composed the scores for a series of well received National Theatre productions, including ''War Horse'' (2007) and ''The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (play)|The Curious Incident of the...' |
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'''Adrian Sutton''' (born 1967) is a British composer, best known for his theatre music. He composed the scores for a series of well received [[Royal National Theatre|National Theatre]] productions, including ''[[War Horse (play)|War Horse]]'' (2007) and ''[[The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (play)|The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time]]'' (2011). In September 2022 Sutton was diagnosed with incurable cancer.<ref name=g>[https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/dec/06/adrian-sutton-war-horse-composer-incurable-cancer-final-concerts 'Don’t waste time’: War Horse composer Adrian Sutton on living with an incurable cancer diagnosis'], in ''The Guardian'', 6 December 2022</ref> |
'''Adrian Sutton''' (born 1967) is a British composer, best known for his theatre music. He composed the scores for a series of well received [[Royal National Theatre|National Theatre]] productions, including ''[[War Horse (play)|War Horse]]'' (2007) and ''[[The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (play)|The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time]]'' (2011). In September 2022 Sutton was diagnosed with incurable cancer.<ref name=g>[https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/dec/06/adrian-sutton-war-horse-composer-incurable-cancer-final-concerts 'Don’t waste time’: War Horse composer Adrian Sutton on living with an incurable cancer diagnosis'], in ''The Guardian'', 6 December 2022</ref> |
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Sutton was born in Kent in 1967 but his family then moved to [[Zimbabwe]] and later [[South Africa]], where he grew up. Returning to London he studied music at [[Goldsmiths, University of London|Goldsmiths]].<ref>[https://www.gold.ac.uk/our-people/profile-hub/music/ug/adrian-sutton/#:~:text=Adrian%20studied%20a%20BMus%20degree,came%20to%20apply%20for%20universities. Goldsmiths, student and graduate profiles]</ref> Before his success at the National Theatre Sutton spent 15 years as a composer of "applied music", |
Sutton was born in Kent in 1967 but his family then moved to [[Zimbabwe]] and later [[South Africa]], where he grew up. Returning to London he studied music at [[Goldsmiths, University of London|Goldsmiths]].<ref>[https://www.gold.ac.uk/our-people/profile-hub/music/ug/adrian-sutton/#:~:text=Adrian%20studied%20a%20BMus%20degree,came%20to%20apply%20for%20universities. Goldsmiths, student and graduate profiles]</ref> Before his success at the National Theatre Sutton spent 15 years as a composer of "applied music", especially music for television commercials. But after working with BBC Radio 1 presenter [[Chris Morris (satirist)|Chris Morris]] on his [[Blue Jam]] series (1997-99) Sutton was introduced to his brother, the theatre director [[Tom Morris (director)|Tom Morris]]. That led to a commission from the National Theatre in 2005 to write the score for ''[[Coram Boy (play)|Coram Boy]]'', for which Sutton adapted the music of [[George Frideric Handel|Handel]].<ref name=g/> The score for ''War Horse'' two years later drew on Sutton's interest in English music of the early and mid twentieth century (especially [[Arnold Bax|Bax]], [[Gerald Finzi|Finzi]] and [[William Walton|Walton]]).<ref>[https://www.chandos.net/translate/CH20349 Composer biography, Chandos]</ref> ''The Curious Incident'' score was influenced by another interest - the electronic studio music of [[Mike Oldfield]] and [[Aphex Twin]]. |
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Other scores for the National Theatre included ''[[Nation (novel)|Nation]]'' and ''[[The Revenger's Tragedy]]'' (both 2009), ''Husbands And Sons'' ([[D. H. Lawrence]], adapted by [[Ben Power]], 2015), ''[[Rules for Living (play)|Rules for Living]]'' (2015), and ''[[Angels in America]]'' (2018). For other theatres Sutton provided music for ''Cyrano de Bergerac'' and ''[[Dr. Semmelweis]]'' ([[Bristol Old Vic]], 2019 and 2022) and ''[[Murder on the Orient Express (play)|Murder On The Orient Express]]'' ([[Chichester Festival Theatre|Chichester]], 2022), |
Other scores for the National Theatre included ''[[Nation (novel)|Nation]]'' and ''[[The Revenger's Tragedy]]'' (both 2009), ''Husbands And Sons'' ([[D. H. Lawrence]], adapted by [[Ben Power]], 2015), ''[[Rules for Living (play)|Rules for Living]]'' (2015), and ''[[Angels in America]]'' (2018). For other theatres Sutton provided music for ''Cyrano de Bergerac'' and ''[[Dr. Semmelweis]]'' ([[Bristol Old Vic]], 2019 and 2022) and ''[[Murder on the Orient Express (play)|Murder On The Orient Express]]'' ([[Chichester Festival Theatre|Chichester]], 2022), |
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Revision as of 11:15, 11 November 2024
Adrian Sutton (born 1967) is a British composer, best known for his theatre music. He composed the scores for a series of well received National Theatre productions, including War Horse (2007) and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time (2011). In September 2022 Sutton was diagnosed with incurable cancer.[1]
Sutton was born in Kent in 1967 but his family then moved to Zimbabwe and later South Africa, where he grew up. Returning to London he studied music at Goldsmiths.[2] Before his success at the National Theatre Sutton spent 15 years as a composer of "applied music", especially music for television commercials. But after working with BBC Radio 1 presenter Chris Morris on his Blue Jam series (1997-99) Sutton was introduced to his brother, the theatre director Tom Morris. That led to a commission from the National Theatre in 2005 to write the score for Coram Boy, for which Sutton adapted the music of Handel.[1] The score for War Horse two years later drew on Sutton's interest in English music of the early and mid twentieth century (especially Bax, Finzi and Walton).[3] The Curious Incident score was influenced by another interest - the electronic studio music of Mike Oldfield and Aphex Twin.
Other scores for the National Theatre included Nation and The Revenger's Tragedy (both 2009), Husbands And Sons (D. H. Lawrence, adapted by Ben Power, 2015), Rules for Living (2015), and Angels in America (2018). For other theatres Sutton provided music for Cyrano de Bergerac and Dr. Semmelweis (Bristol Old Vic, 2019 and 2022) and Murder On The Orient Express (Chichester, 2022),
Since his diagnosis, Sutton has worked exclusively on concert works. His Violin Concerto (2023) and other orchestral pieces, including an extended suite constructed from the War Horse score, were performed live at the Southbank Centre with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, soloist Fenella Humphreys, in June 2023, and subsequently recorded by Chandos.[4]