English composer and pianist (born 1944)
Nyman in 2015 Michael Laurence Nyman ,CBE (born 23 March 1944) is an English composer, pianist,librettist ,musicologist , andfilmmaker . He is known for numerous filmscores (many written during his lengthy collaboration with thefilmmaker Peter Greenaway ), and hismulti-platinum soundtrack album toJane Campion 'sThe Piano The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat Letters, Riddles and Writs Noises, Sounds & Sweet Airs Facing Goya Man and Boy: Dada Love Counts Sparkie: Cage and Beyond . He has written sixconcerti , fivestring quartets , and many otherchamber works, many for hisMichael Nyman Band . He is also a performing pianist. Nyman prefers to write opera over other forms of music.[ 1]
Early life and education [ edit ] Nyman was born inStratford, London , to a family of secular Jewish furriers who immigrated from Poland.[ 2] [ 3]
Nyman was educated at theSir George Monoux Grammar School, Walthamstow . He studied from 1961 until 1967 atKing's College London , and at theRoyal Academy of Music until 1967 withAlan Bush andThurston Dart ,[ 4] baroque music . He won theHoward Carr Memorial Prize for composition in July 1964.[ 5] Romania to study folk-song, supported by aBritish Council bursary.[ 6]
[ edit ] Nyman says he discovered his aesthetic by playing thearia "Madamina, il catalogo è questo " from Mozart'sDon Giovanni Jerry Lee Lewis , which "dictated the dynamic, articulation and texture of everything I've subsequently done."[ 7] In Re Don Giovanni.
In 1969, Nyman provided thelibretto ofHarrison Birtwistle 's operaDown by the Greenwood Side Love Love Love (based onthe Beatles ' "All You Need Is Love ").[ 6] minimalism " to music, in a 1968 article inThe Spectator Cornelius Cardew . He wrote introductions forGeorge Frideric Handel 'sConcerti grossi, Op. 6 , and interviewedGeorge Brecht in 1976.[ 8] Decay Music Brian Eno . In 1974 Nyman published an influential book calledExperimental Music: Cage and Beyond , which explored the influence ofJohn Cage onclassical composers.
[ edit ] In the 1970s, Nyman was a member of thePortsmouth Sinfonia – the self-described World's Worst Orchestra. He was the featured pianist on the orchestra's recording of "Bridge Over Troubled Water " on the 1979Martin Lewis -produced20 Classic Rock Classics album, on which the Sinfonia gave their unique interpretations of the pop and rock repertoire of the 1950s–1970s.
In 1976, he formed the Campiello Band, which became theMichael Nyman Band , for a production ofCarlo Goldoni 'sIl Campiello . Originally made up of old instruments such asrebecs andshawms alongside more modern instruments like the saxophone to produce as loud a sound as possible without amplification, the band later switched to a fully amplified line-up of string quartet, three saxophones, trumpet,horn ,bass trombone , bass guitar and piano. Many of Nyman's works are written for his ensemble, with the lineup variously altered and augmented.
One of his earliest film scores was the 1976 British sex comedyKeep It Up Downstairs Peter Greenaway . Nyman drew frequently onearly music sources in his scores for Greenaway's films:Henry Purcell inThe Draughtsman's Contract The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover Memorial and Miserere Paraphrase),Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber inA Zed & Two Noughts Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart inDrowning by Numbers John Dowland inProspero's Books [ 9] Letters, Riddles and Writs Not Mozart .
In 1987 Nyman composed the operaNoises, Sounds & Sweet Airs soprano ,alto ,tenor and instrumental ensemble (based on Nyman's score for the balletLa Princesse de Milan ); the operaThe Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat Oliver Sacks ; and fivestring quartets . He also recorded pop music with theFlying Lizards ; a version of hisBird List from the soundtrack to Peter Greenaway'sThe Falls Fourth Wall as "Hands 2 Take".
In 1990 he composedAriel Songs for soprano and band; in 1993MGV (Musique à Grande Vitesse) for band and orchestra; concertos for saxophone, piano (based on the score forThe Piano ), violin,harpsichord , trombone, and saxophone & cello recorded byJohn Harle andJulian Lloyd Webber ;
In 1991 Nyman composedThe Michael Nyman Songbook based on poetry byPaul Celan ,Arthur Rimbaud ,Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart andWilliam Shakespeare . HisSix Celan Songs off this collection were composed forUte Lemper , with whom he recorded the album. Ute Lemper also performed in the 1992 concert film of the same name, directed byVolker Schlöndorff .
In 1993, Nyman's popularity increased after he wrote the score toJane Campion 's award-winning 1993 filmThe Piano Ivor Novello Award , aGolden Globe , aBAFTA and anAmerican Film Institute award, and nominated for aBritish Academy Award and aGolden Globe . He produced a soundtrack for the silent filmMan with a Movie Camera Enemy Zero
Nyman at the 2009Venice Film Festival His forays into Hollywood wereGattaca Ravenous Damon Albarn ), andThe End of the Affair Gattaca was nominated for aSaturn Award for Best Music.
In 1999, Nyman created a group called Foster's Social Orchestra, which specialised in the work ofStephen Foster . One of their pieces appeared in the filmRavenous
In 2000, he produced an opera on the subject ofcloning on alibretto by Victoria Hardie titledFacing Goya Vital Statistics contralto and the role was created by Hilary Summers. His newest operas areMan and Boy: Dada Love Counts Michael Hastings .
From 2002 to 2005 he was a composer-in-residence at theBadisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe , Germany.[ 10]
He composed the music for the children's television seriesTitch [ 11] Pat Hutchins .
On 7 July 2007, Nyman performed atLive Earth inJapan . Nyman began a long-term artistic collaboration with the filmmakerMax Pugh which resulted in many short art films, three experimental feature documentaries and a number of video installations. In 2008 Nyman realised, in collaboration with the cultural association Volumina,Sublime , an artist's book that unified his music with his passion for photography.
In October 2009, Nyman releasedThe Glare David McAlmont . The album – recorded with the Michael Nyman Band – finds McAlmont putting lyrics based on contemporary news stories to 11 pieces of Nyman music drawn from different phases of his career.[ 12]
In 2012, he made a soundtrack for film,Everyday Keith H. Yoo in 2012 commissioned Nyman to write a 26-minutepiano quintet in fourmovements titledThrough the Only Window . It premiered at the gala dinner for his fatherYoo Byung-eun 's photographic exhibition "Through My Window" in theTuileries Garden ofThe Louvre in Paris on 25 June 2012. The work has been recorded by Nyman Quintet in theAbbey Road Studios , and has been released on Nyman's record label.[ 13] [ 14] [ 15] Orangerie Hall of thePalace of Versailles , and wrote the 32-minute-long symphony in four movements, Symphony No. 6 "AHAE", representing the four seasons in nature as depicted byAhae , a pseudonym forYoo Byung-eun . TheLondon Symphony Orchestra premiered both pieces atL'Opéra of the Palace of Versailles in Paris on 8 September 2013 under the baton of the composer.[ 16] [ 17] [ 18] [ 19] Dziga Vertov 'sMan with a Movie Camera Potemkin Stairs . The show was part of the 6thOdesa International Film Festival and gathered approximately 15,000 spectators.[ 20]
Nyman was married to Aet Nyman (née Toome), with whom he has two daughters,Molly and Martha, but they are now divorced.[ 3] Unchained Melody " in homage to Aet, who appears in Greenaway'sThe Falls Harry Escott has written several film scores, including forThe Road to Guantanamo Michael Winterbottom . Martha is a development researcher for theBBC .
In 2005, Nyman reported that he had been a supporter ofQueens Park Rangers F.C. for 33 years.[ 21]
He lives inNorth London .[ 3]
Nyman was appointedCommander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2008 Birthday Honours.[ 22]
Nyman was awarded an honorary doctorate (DLitt) from theUniversity of Warwick on 30 January 2007. At the degree ceremony, the University of Warwick Brass Society and Chamber Choir, conducted byPaul McGrath , premiered a specially composed procession and recession fanfare by Nyman.[ 23]
In 2015, he was awarded the Golden Duke for Lifetime Achievement, the special award of the 6thOdesa International Film Festival .[ 24]
In 2025, he received aLifetime Achievement from theWorld Soundtrack Academy .
Besides his compositions Nyman is also a filmmaker, having made over 80 films, his first shot in 1968.[ 25]
1963 – Introduction and Allegro Concertato for Wind Quartet (lost) 1963 – Divertimento for Flute, Oboe and Clarinet 1965 –Canzona for Flute 1974 –Bell Set No. 1 1976 –1–100 1976 – (First) Waltz in D (variable) 1976 – (Second)Waltz in F 1977 –In Re Don Giovanni 1977 –A Walk Through H (film music) 1978 –The Otherwise Very Beautiful Blue Danube Waltz (multiple pianos) 1978 –Vertical Features Remake 1979 –'The Masterwork' Award Winning Fish-Knife 1979 –Four Ostinatos (bass clarinet) 1979 –Masterwork Samples (for the Michael Nyman Band) 1980 –A Neat Slice of Time (choir) 1980 –A Neat Slice of Saraband (clarinet, trombone, piano and cello) 1985 –The Falls 1980 –Act of God (film music) 1981 –Think Slow, Act Fast (forHoketus ) – reworked into soundtrack forA Sixth Part of the World 1981 –Five Orchestral Pieces for Opus Tree (band)[ 26] Anton Webern 's Five Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 10) 1981 –M-Work 1981 –Two Violins (two amplified violins) 1982 –Four Saxes (Real Slow Drag) (saxophone quartet) 1982 –A Handsom, Smooth, Sweet, Smart, Clear Stroke: Or Else Play Not At All (orchestra) 1982 –The Draughtsman's Contract [ 27] 1983 –Ballet Mécanique (ensemble) 1983 –Time's Up (Gamelan ensemble) 1983 –I'll Stake My Cremona to a Jew's Trump (electric violin and viola, both players also simultaneously singing) 1983 –Love is Certainly, at Least Alphabetically Speaking (soprano and ensemble) 1983 –Ballet Mécanique 1983 –Nelly's Version 1983 –Frozen Music (for the Michael Nyman Band) 1984 –The Abbess of Andouillets (choir and percussion) 1984 –Bird Work (for the Michael Nyman Band) 1984 –The Cold Room 1985 –Nose-List Song opera setting ofLaurence Sterne 'sThe Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman 1985 –Childs Play 1985 –String Quartet No. 1 1985 –A Zed and Two Noughts [ 27] 1985 –Memorial 1985 –Zoo Caprices [ 27] 1986 –Basic Black (ballet for orchestra, reduced for piano duet asTaking a Line for a Second Walk 1986 –The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat adapted from theOliver Sacks case study by Nyman, Rawlence, and Michael Morris)[ 27] 1986 –And Do They Do 1986 –The Disputation (film music) 1987 –Touch the Earth (two sopranos, violin, and viola) 1987 –Vital Statistics (opera; libretto by Victoria Hardie) – withdrawn and revised intoFacing Goya 1988 –Orpheus' Daughter (opera; libretto by Gerrit Timmers) – withdrawn 1988 –String Quartet No. 2 1988 –Drowning by Numbers [ 27] 1989 –Out of the Ruins [ 27] 1989 –La Traversée de Paris 1989 –The Fall of Icarus The Commissar Vanishes 1989 –L'Orgie Parisienne [ 27] 1989 –La Sept 1989 –Death in the Seine (film music) 1989 –The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover [ 27] 1990 –Shaping the Curve (soprano saxophone, string quartet or piano) 1990 –Six Celan Songs 1990 – Polish Love Song (soprano and piano or two clarinets, viola, cello and bass) 1990 –String Quartet No. 3 1990 –Men of Steel (TV episode music) 1991 –Where the Bee Dances (soprano saxophone and orchestra) 1991 –Fluegelhorn and Piano 1991 –Prospero's Books Concert Suite for chamber orchestra arranged in 1994[ 27] 1991 –Letters, Riddles and Writs (3 voices and the Michael Nyman Band) 1991 –Masque Arias (brass quintet) 1991 –The Final Score (film music for the Michael Nyman Band) 1991 –I am an Unusual Thing 1992 –Time Will Pronounce 1992 –For John Cage 1992 –Self-Laudatory Hymn of Inanna and Her Omnipotence 1992 –The Convertibility of Lute Strings 1992 –Anne de Lucy Songs (soprano and piano) 1992 –Le Mari de la Coiffeuse 1992 –The Upside-Down Violin (orchestra/ensemble) 1992 –Mozart on Mortality (soprano and 6 players) 1992 –The Piano [ 27] 1992 –Ariel Songs 1993 –MGV: Musique à grande vitesse 1993 –The Piano Concerto 1993 –Noises, Sounds & Sweet Airs William Shakespeare 'sThe Tempest 1993 –Yamamoto Perpetuo 1993 –Songs for Tony (saxophone quartet) 1993 –On the Fiddle (violin or cello, and piano or strings) 1994 –To Morrow (soprano or soprano saxophone, organ) 1994 –3 Quartets 1994 –Concerto for Trombone 1994 –A La Folie [ 27] 1994 –Carrington [ 27] 1994 –Three Quartets 1995 –String Quartet No. 4 1995 –Tango for Tim (In memoriam Tim Suster) (harpsichord) 1995 –The Waltz Song (unison voices) 1995 –Viola and Piano 1995 –Grounded (mezzo-soprano, saxophones, violin, piano) 1995 –HRT [High Rise Terminal] (chamber ensemble) 1995 –Concerto for Harpsichord and Strings 1995 –Double Concerto for Saxophone and Cello 1995 –The Diary of Anne Frank [ 27] 1996 –After Extra Time 1996 –Enemy Zero 1996 –The Ogre [ 27] 1996 –Elisabeth Gets Her Way (harpsichord) 1996 –Knights at School (brass ensemble) 1997 –Enemy Zero – Original Soundtrack 1997 –Strong on Oaks, Strong on the Causes of Oaks 1997 –Gattaca [ 27] 1997 –Titch 1998 –Cycle of Disquietude (Coisas, Vozes, Lettras) (soprano, mezzo-soprano, and band) 1998 –Orfeu (band) 1998 –De Granada A La Luna (band) 1999 –The End of the Affair [ 27] 1999 –Wonderland [ 27] 1999 –Balancing the Books (choir) 1999 –Strange Attractors (piano quintet) --> 2000 –Facing Goya 2000 –Act Without Words 2000 –The Claim [ 27] 2001 –a dance he little thinks of (orchestra) 2001 –Fourths, Mostly (organ) 2001 –Free for All (brass ensemble) 2001 –Mosè (choir and string quartet) 2001 –Ballad of Kastriot Rexhepi 2002 –24 heures de la vie d'une femme [ 27] 2002 –Beckham Crosses, Nyman Scores (string quartet and tape), deriveExit, No Exit 2002 –Dance of the Engines (orchestra) 2002 –Mapping (video art music for string quartet) 2002 –Sangam: The Meeting Point 2002 –The Actors [ 27] 2002 –Yellow Beach (piano trio) 2002 –Zeit und Ziel 1814–2002 (for the Michael Nyman Band) 2003 – Violin Concerto (violin and orchestra) 2003 –Man and Boy: Dada Michael Hastings ) 2003 –A Child's View of Colour (choir and strings) 2003 –Manhatta (for the Michael Nyman Band or bass clarinet or soprano and bass clarinet) 2004 –24 Hour Sax Quartet 2004 –Flicker (electronic guitar and electronics) 2004 –The Libertine 2004 –Photography of Chance (piano trio) 2005 –Love Counts 2005 –Melody Waves (Chinese orchestra) 2005 –Revisiting the Don (Chinese flute and the Michael Nyman Band) 2006 –gdm for Marimba and Orchestra (concerto) 2006 –Acts of Beauty 2006 –For Kiyan Prince (choir) 2006 –I was a Total Virgin (orchestra) 2006 –That's the Lover (voice and 5 players) 2007 –A Handshake in the Dark Jamal Jumá [world premiere 8 March 2007, Barbican, London, performed by the BBC Symphony Chorus and Orchestra, John Storgards conducting]) 2007 –Interlude in C (expansion of a theme fromThe Libertine 2007 –Warwick Fanfare (Parts 1 & 2) (procession and recession fanfares used for graduation ceremonies at theUniversity of Warwick ) 2007 –50,000 pairs of feet can't be wrong. (for the Michael Nyman Band) 2007 –A New Pavan For These Sad, Distracted Times (cello concerto) 2007 –I Sonetti Lussuriosi 2007 – Piano Concerto No. 2 2007 – Violin Concerto No. 2 2007 –Taking it as Read (violin and piano) 2008 –Yamamoto Perpetuo for Solo Flute (arranged by Andy Findon) 2008 –Something Connected with Energy (ensemble) – reworked into soundtrack forThe Eleventh Year in 2010 2008 –For Ennio (cello and strings) 2009 –Sparkie: Cage and Beyond (opera withCarsten Nicolai ) 2009 –The Musicologist Scores (for the Michael Nyman Band) 2009 –Banjo & Matilda (for the Michael Nyman Band) 2009 –Kino (3 accordions and the Michael Nyman Band) 2009 –Ombra mai fu (countertenor and orchestra) 2009 –Secrets, Accusations and Charges (for the Michael Nyman Band) 2009 –Underneath the Hessian Bags (for the Michael Nyman Band) 2010 –2Graves 2010 –Body Parts Songs (song cycle) 2010 – Concerto for Flute and Strings 2010 –Milton Songs (voice and the Michael Nyman Band) 2010 –Poczatek (piano trio)fPolish Love Son 2011 –Prologue to Dido and Aeneas by Henry Purcell (opera, libretto by Vera Pavlova) 2011 –Battleship Potemkin 2011 –Doing the Rounds (orchestra and choir) 2011 –On Languard Point (soprano and the Michael Nyman Band) 2011 –Let's not make a song and dance out of it (String Quartet No. 5) 2012 –Through the Only Window (piano quintet) 2012 –Devoción (orchestra) 2013 – Trumpet & String Quartet 2013 –Goldberg Shuffle (piano) 2013 – Symphony No. 2 2013 – Symphony No. 5 2013 – Symphony No. 6 2013 –Water Dances (Symphony No. 8) 2014 –Symphony of sexual songs (Symphony No. 3) 2014 –War Work: Eight Songs with Film (song cycle commissioned to commemorate the 100th anniversary of theFirst World War ) 2014 –Hillsborough Memorial (Symphony No. 11) 2014 – Symphony No. 12 2014 –Two Sonnets for Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (choir or voice) 2015 –Chromattic (saxophone, accordion, marimba and double bass) 2015 –Empresa Cines Merida (piano quintet) 2015 – Symphony No. 4 2016 –As You Watch The Athletes Score (for the Michael Nyman Band) 2016 –No Time In Eternity (countertenor and viol consort) 2019 – Flute Concerto No. 2 (flute and strings) 2019 –Neat Slice of Tango (piano) 2019 –When Ingrid Met Capa (string quartet) In addition to his composing and filmmaking activities, Nyman has a full international touring schedule with the Michael Nyman Band as well as a series of unique one-off performances with a variety of collaborators. They include musicians from outside the western/classical/experimental traditions such as the Orquesta Andalusí de Tetuan,Rajan and Sajan Misra ,U. Shrinivas ,Estrella Morente ,Seijin Noborakawa ,Ute Lemper ,Evan Parker ,Peter Brotzmann ,Paolo Fresu , Mike Giles,The Flying Lizards ,Dagmar Krause ,Sting ,Damon Albarn ,David McAlmont andAlva Noto .[ 28]
Decay Music Michael Nyman The Draughtsman's Contract The Kiss and Other Movements A Zed & Two Noughts The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat Drowning by Numbers La Traversée de Paris The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover String Quartets 1–3 Prospero's Books The Michael Nyman Songbook Time Will Pronounce The Piano The Piano Concerto/MGV Noises, Sounds & Sweet Airs After Extra Time Concertos The Suit and the Photograph Wonderland Facing Goya Sangam: Michael Nyman Meets Indian Masters Man and Boy: Dada Acts of Beauty/Exit no Exit Love Counts 8 Lust Songs: I Sonetti Lussuriosi ^ "Michael Nyman – Interview by John Leeman- December 2005 MusicWeb-International" . Musicweb-international.com. 7 November 2005. Retrieved10 August 2014 .^ Siôn, Pwyll ap (2007).The Music of Michael Nyman: Texts, Contexts and Intertexts doi :10.4324/9781315085821 .ISBN 9781859282106 ^a b c Anstead, Mark (8 May 2011)."Michael Nyman on fame and fortune" .The Telegraph . Retrieved15 November 2025 . ^ "On the road with Michael Nyman" .Limelight . Retrieved10 August 2014 .^ Siôn 2007 , p. 18.^a b Siôn 2007 , p. 83^ Andrew Ford . "Jerry Lee Lewis Plays Mozart."Composer to Composer London:Quartet Books , 1993. pp 192–195, p 194^ "Et" (in European Spanish). Retrieved13 June 2024 .^ Siôn 2007 , p. [page needed .^ "Michael Nyman | ECLIPSE Home Audio Systems" .www.eclipse-td.com . Retrieved27 February 2024 .^ "Music – Soundtracks – Titch" . Michael Nyman. Archived fromthe original on 17 May 2014. Retrieved10 August 2014 .^ "The best albums you never heard in 2009" .BBC News . 2 January 2010. Retrieved26 May 2022 .^ "Michael Nyman: Through The Only Window – String Quartet & Piano (Score/Parts) – String Quartet/Piano Chamber Score and Parts – Sheet Music & Songbooks" . Musicroom.com. Retrieved31 May 2014 .^ "Music Sales Group – The Music Sales Catalogue" . Musicsales.com. Retrieved31 May 2014 .^ "Michael Nyman Through The Only Window (Music CD) – by Ahae Products" . Ahaeproducts.com. Retrieved31 May 2014 .^ Alberge, Dalya (23 June 2013)."Rich Korean recluse hires the LSO to blow his trumpet" .The Sunday Times the original on 2 June 2014. Retrieved1 June 2014 . ^ "News – Nyman Symphony No. 6 premiere" . Music Sales Classical. 6 September 2013. Archived fromthe original on 22 May 2014. Retrieved31 May 2014 .^ The Music Sales Group."Michael Nyman Symphony No. 6 "AHAE" Premier" . The Music Sales Group. Archived fromthe original on 22 May 2014. Retrieved22 May 2014 . ^ "Biographie En" . Nicolasbacri.net. Retrieved31 May 2014 .^ "Man With a Movie Camera and Michael Nyman at the Potemkin Stairs" . Odesa International Film Festival. Archived fromthe original on 5 February 2016.^ Nyman, Michael (20 October 2005)."Composing the QPR suite" .The Guardian .ISSN 0261-3077 . Retrieved27 February 2024 . ^ "No. 58729" .The London Gazette ^ "Honorary Degrees for Sir Antony Sher, Michael Nyman and Professor Sir Alec Jeffreys" .University of Warwick . Retrieved10 August 2014 .^ "Award Winners 2015" . Odesa International Film Festival. Archived fromthe original on 22 November 2015.^ "Films" .michaelnyman.com .^ Originally recorded by Nyman,Ned Sublette , Susan Krongold,Barbara Benary ,Jon Gibson , Richard Cohen, Virgil Blackwell,Peter Zummo , andPeter Gordon atThe Kitchen , and intended for Peter Greenaway's short film,The Tree . ^a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t "Michael Nyman" . scaruffi.com. Retrieved15 October 2025 .^ "Home" .Michael Nyman . Retrieved13 May 2018 .
Michael Nyman Band members
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