Jonathan Willcocks
Jonathan Willcocks | |
|---|---|
| Born | 9 January 1953 |
| Education | chorister at King's College |
| Occupations | Conductor, composer |
| Family | Sir David Willcocks (father) |
Jonathan Peter Willcocks BEM (born 9 January 1953[1]) is an English composer and conductor.
Personal life and education
[edit]Willcocks was born in Worcester, the son of conductor and composer Sir David Willcocks.[2] He was a chorister at King's College, Cambridge, and an Open Music Scholar at Clifton College. He graduated with an Honours degree in Music from the University of Cambridge in 1974, where he held a choral scholarship at Trinity College.[3]
Career
[edit]He served as director of music at The Portsmouth Grammar School from 1975 to 1978 and Bedales School, Petersfield between 1978 and 1989.[1]
He is conductor and musical director of Guildford Choral Society and Chichester Singers, and of the professional chamber orchestra Southern Pro Musica.[4] From 1998 to 2008 he was the director of the Junior Academy, Royal Academy of Music, London.[5] In 2016, Willcocks was appointed Festival Conductor of the Leith Hill Musical Festival, the fifth since Ralph Vaughan Williams and succeeding Brian Kay, who held the post for 21 years. As a guest conductor, Willcocks has worked in USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Singapore and China. Venues have included Carnegie Hall, Gewandhaus, Perth Concert Hall, Australia, Royal Albert Hall, Royal Festival Hall and Symphony Hall, Birmingham.[6]
Willcocks was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) in the 2024 New Year Honours for services to music.[7]
Compositions
[edit]As a composer, his work has been nominated for the Academy of Composers and Songwriters’ prestigious British Composer Awards.[8] His music is published by Oxford University Press.[9] Works include:
- Voices of Time for baritone, SATB choir and chamber orchestra
- Great is the Glory for tenor, SATB choir and orchestra
- Australia concert overture for orchestra
References
[edit]- 1 2 Maggie Humphreys; Robert Evans (1997), Dictionary of Composers for the Church in Great Britain and Ireland, A&C Black, p. 361, ISBN 0-7201-2330-5
- ↑ Clare Brotherhood (4 January 2004). "Like father like son". South Bucks, Burnham and Iver Observer. Denham, England. p. 33.
- ↑ "A new musical piece written". Amersham and Chesham Free Press. Amersham, UK. 19 January 2001. p. 43.
- ↑ "A new musical piece written". Amersham and Chesham Free Press. Amersham, UK. 19 January 2001. p. 43.
- ↑ "Greenlake concert finale set". Daily Citizen. Wisconsin, USA. 19 July 1995. p. 14.
- ↑ "Jonathan Willcocks". guildfordchoral.org. Retrieved 4 September 2026.
- ↑ "No. 64269". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 2023. p. N37.
- ↑ Connor Gormley (18 June 2024). "Chichester composer Jonathan Willcox honoured to attend BEM investiture". sussexexpress.co.uk. Retrieved 25 September 2026.
- ↑ "Jonathan Willcocks". guildfordchoral.org. Retrieved 4 September 2026.
External links
[edit]| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
- English composers
- Musicians from Worcester, England
- People educated at Clifton College
- Honorary members of the Royal Academy of Music
- 1953 births
- Living people
- Choristers of the Choir of King's College, Cambridge
- Recipients of the British Empire Medal
- Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge
- Teachers at Bedales School