Michael Vyner
Michael Vyner | |
|---|---|
 Vyner by Boleslaw Lutosławski | |
| Born | 1943 Leeds, England, UK |
| Died | 20 October 1989 (aged 46) London, England, UK |
| Occupation | Arts administrator |
| Organization(s) | London Sinfonietta Leeds Festival |
| Known for | Advocacy of contemporary classical music |
Michael Vyner (1943 – 20 October 1989) was an English arts administrator. As music director of the London Sinfonietta (1972–1989) and briefly artistic director of the Leeds Festival (1987–1989), Vyner specialized in contemporary classical music. He died during the AIDS epidemic.
Life and career
[edit]Michael Vyner was born in Leeds, England, UK on 1943 to parents of Russian-Polish ancestry.[1] He began music instruction early, studying violin from age 5 with Eta Cohen.[1][2] After attending the local Roundhay High School, Vyner studied law at Leeds University and graduated in 1966.[1]
After an early stint at the music publisher Schott Music, Vyner became the music director of the London Sinfonietta in 1972, a post he would hold until his death.[1][3] At the Sinfonietta, he continued the ensemble's advocacy of contemporary classical music and commissioned numerous composers, including Witold Lutosławski, who wrote Chain I (1983) for the group.[3][4] Vyner also "did much to promote [Henryk] Górecki's music in the West."[5] In April 1987, he became artistic director of the Leeds Festival until his death.[1]
Personal life and death
[edit]Vyner was life-long bachelor; his mother described him as having lived for music.[1] During the AIDS epidemic, he died from AIDS-related complications on 20 October 1989 in London, England, UK;[1][6] an obituary lists cancer as the cause of his death.[1]
Vyner's death occasioned a range of musical tributes from some of the major composers of the day, including Hans Werner Henze's nine-part Requiem.[7] Other tributes included "Leaf from 6 Encores for piano by Luciano Berio;[8] Ritual Fragment for chamber ensemble by Harrison Birtwistle;[9] both Litany - In Memory of Michael Vyner and My Way of Life - In Memory of Michael Vyner by Toru Takemitsu;[10] Threnody on a Plainsong for Michael Vyner by Peter Maxwell Davies;[11] Good Night, In Memoriam Michael Vyner by Henryk Górecki; and Secret Psalm by Oliver Knussen.[12] A London Sinfonietta memorial concert for Vyner took place 6 May 1990 at Covent Garden, featuring Henze's Requiem (selections) and Lutosławski's Chain I, among other works.[3][13] A number of conductors participated, including David Atherton, Bernard Haitink, Knussen, Lutosławski, Simon Rattle and Esa-Pekka Salonen.[13]
Upon his death, the Michael Vyner Trust was established as a bursary to assist young composers and commission new works; Henze donated a large sum.[1][14] It was active from 1990 until 2004.[15][16] Michael Vyner's papers are held by the British Library.[17]
References
[edit]Citations
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Leeds Festival director dies aged 46". Yorkshire Evening Post. 20 October 1989. p. 5. Retrieved 3 August 2026. (subscription required)
- ↑ Webb 2020, p. 13.
- 1 2 3 "Michael Vyner". Fryderyk Chopin Institute. Retrieved 3 August 2026.
- ↑ Bodman Rae 1999, Chapter 6. "Emergence of the Late Style (1979–1983)".
- ↑ Staines 2015, p. 218.
- ↑ Garner, Claire (26 November 1995). "Arts suffer most as Aids rages on". The Independent. Archived from the original on 14 May 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2026.
- ↑ Bly 2023, p. 667.
- ↑ "Berio: Leaf – from "6 Encores" (1990) for piano". Universal Edition. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
- ↑ "Birtwistle: Cortege – a ceremony (2007) for 14 musicians". Universal Edition. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
- ↑ Burt 2001, p. 230.
- ↑ Work Detail - Sir Peter Maxwell Davies - maxopus.com
- ↑ "Secret Psalm | Faber Music".
- 1 2 "Weekend Radio: Sunday". The Scotsman. 5 May 1990. p. 14. Retrieved 3 August 2026. (subscription required)
- ↑ "Briefly". Yorkshire Evening Post. 29 December 1989. p. 8. Retrieved 3 August 2026. (subscription required)
- ↑ "The Michael Vyner Trust". Charity Commission for England and Wales. Retrieved 3 August 2026.
- ↑ "The Michael Vyner Trust". OpenCharities. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 3 August 2026.
- ↑ "Michael Vyner Papers". Cecilia. Retrieved 3 August 2026.
Sources
[edit]- Bly, Leon J. (2023). A History of the Music for Wind Band. Berlin: LIT Verlag. ISBN 978-3-643-96654-4.
- Bodman Rae, Charles (1999). The Music of Lutosławski (3rd ed.). London: Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-7119-6910-0.
- Burt, Peter (2001). The Music of Toru Takemitsu. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-78220-3.
- Staines, Joe (2015). The Rough Guide to Classical Music. London: Rough Guides. ISBN 978-1-84836-677-0.
- Webb, Julie (May 2020). "My mother was the Delia Smith of violin teaching" (PDF). Lark Music (9).
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