Belgian composer Dominique Lawalrée has died. He was 64. Lawalrée was born in Brussels, studying at the Institut Supérieur de Musique et de Pédagogie in Namur. He began composing in…

German composer, arranger and conductor Martin Böttcher died on 19th April. He was 91. His early years were dominated by the war; a period in the Luftwaffe was followed by time as…

André Previn died last night at his home in Manhattan. He was 89. Born in Berlin, Germany, Previn showed phenomenal musical talent at an early age. His father, a lawyer,…

Israeli composer Ami Maayani died on 16th February. He was 83. Born near Tel-Aviv, Maayani studied conducting, violin and viola playing at the Academy of Music in Jerusalem (1951–53) and…

French singer, pianist and composer Michel Legrand died in Paris on 26th January. He was 86. Legrand’s early training suggested the path of a classical musician - the Paris Conservatoire…

British-South African composer John Joubert died on 7th January. He was 91. Joubert was born in Cape Town, South Africa and educated in the Anglican Diocesan College in Rondebosch. He…

Israeli composer, conductor and teacher Noam Sheriff died on 25th August. He was 83. As a composer Sheriff fused elements of Eastern and Western music in a broadly atonal style.…

The musical world today mourns the loss of one of the outstanding figures in contemporary British music, composer and conductor Oliver Knussen, CBE. He was just 66. Ever self-critical his…

US composer and guitarist Glenn Branca died on May 13th. He was 69. Branca studied theatre at Emerson College, Boston. After spending time in the UK in 1973, he returned…

New York-based composer Matt Marks died on May 11th. He was just 38.  Not just a composer but also a mean arranger, singer and horn player, Marks was a founding…