What is Judith Weir?
'''Judith Weir [[CBE]]''' (born 11 May 1954) is a [[British people|British]] [[composer]]. She is well known for her [[theatre]] works, [[choral]] music, [[orchestral]] music and [[chamber music]]. == Early life == Weir was born in [[Cambridge]], [[England]] to [[Scottish people|Scottish]] [[parents]]. While she was still at school she trained with the composer [[John Tavener]]. She played the [[oboe]] in the [[National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain]]. She then studied at the [[University of Cambridge]] where her teacher was [[Robin Holloway]]. == Career == Judith Weir’s music has [[harmony|harmonies]] which are very exciting and original. Her Christmas carol ''Illuminare'' has become very popular, but it is quite difficult and needs a good choir to pitch the notes of the [[dissonant]] chords. She often uses [[medieval]] [[history]] as inspiration for her music, as well as music from her native [[Scotland]], e.g. piobaireachd, which is a kind of [[variation form]] using small [[interval (music)|intervals]]. Her music often tells stories. Her [[opera]]s include ''A Night at the Chinese Opera'', ''The Vanishing Bridegroom'', ''Blond Eckbert'', and ''Armida'', an opera for [[television]]. From 1995 to 2000, she was the artistic director of the [[Spitalfields Festival]] in London. She has composed works for the [[City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra]]. She has received many honours, including the [[CBE]] in [[1995]]. == Other websites == * [http://www.chesternovello.com/Default.aspx?TabId=2431&State_2905=2&composerId_2905=1689 Judith Weir's homepage at Chester Music] (music publishers) * [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/cotw/pip/db4ob/ Judith Weir (b 1954)] (BBC) {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Weir, Judith}} [[Category:1954 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:20th-century English composers]] [[Category:21st-century British composers]] [[Category:People from Cambridge]] {{bio-stub}}