Prof Sir John Tavener

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Prof Sir John Tavener's Biography

Forename(s): John Kenneth
Sex: Male
Decorations: kt (2000)
Date of Birth: 28/1/1944

Foretitle(s): Prof Sir
Surname: TAVENER
Style: Prof Sir John Tavener
Recreations: travelling in Greece, house in Greece, collecting icons

Prof Sir John Tavener's Professional Career

Career: composer; organist St John's Church London 1960-75, prof of composition Trinity Coll of Music 1968-; memb Russian Orthodox Church; Hon FRAM, Hon FTCL, Hon FRSCM, Hon DMus New Delhi Univ India for services to the Sacred in Art 1990, Hon DMus City Univ London 1995; Apollo Prize Friends of Greek Nat Opera 1993; Compositions incl: Cain and Abel (first prize Prince Rainier of Monaco 1965) 1965, The Whale (London) 1968, Celtic Requiem, Ultimos Ritos (Holland Festival) 1974, Akhmatova Requiem 1980 (Edinburgh Festival), Antigone, Thérèse (Covent Garden) 1979, Palintropos (Moscow) 1989, Sappho Fragments, Towards the Son, Mandelion, A Gentle Spirit, Ikon of Light (Tallis Scholars) 1984, Liturgy of St John Chrysostom, Risen!, In Memory of Cats, Let Not the Prince be Silent, Requiem for Father Malachy, Two Hymns to the Mother of God, Kyklike Kinesis, Collegium Regale (King's Coll Cambridge) 1987, Hymn to the Holy Spirit, Acclamation for His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Demetrios I (Canterbury Cathedral) 1988, Akathist of Thanksgiving (Westminster Abbey) 1988, Ikon of St Seraphim (Truro Cathedral) 1988, The Protecting Veil (Royal Albert Hall) 1989 (The Gramophone award 1992), Resurrection (Glasgow Cathedral) 1990, Apocalypse (BBC Proms cmmn) 1990-92, The Hidden Treasure 1990, The Repentant Thief (LSO cmmn, Barbican) 1991, Mary of Egypt 1992, We Shall See Him as He is 1992, Eternal Memory 1992, Last Sleep of the Virgin 1992, Akhmatova Songs 1993, Song for Athene 1993, The World is Burning (Monteverdi Choir cmmn) 1994, The Myrrh-Bearer (London Symphony Chorus cmmn) 1994, Melina 1994, Innocence 1994, Agraphon 1995, Three Antiphons 1995, Let's Begin Again 1993-95, Svyatuiee 1995, Vlepontas (Delphi cmmn) 1996, Wake Up and Die (Sony cmmn) 1996, The Toll Houses (opera) 1996, Depart in Peace 1997, The Last Discourse 1997, Eternity's Sunrise 1997, Fall and Resurrection (Millennium cmmn, St Paul's Cathedral) 2000, Laila (adapted as Amu by Random Dance Co Sadler's Wells) 2005; Television and Publications subject of many TV progs incl: Art and Belief, A Week in the Life of, Making Out, Ultimos Ritos, Celtic Requiem, Glimpses of Paradise 1992, South Bank Show 1998; subject of book by Geoffrey Haydon John Tavener: Glimpses of Paradise (1995)

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