About
British composer known to radio fans for hosting "Private Passions" on BBC Radio 3. He received the Guinness Prize for Composition in 1977. His works included an oboe concerto from 1977, the oratorio "Or Shall We Die?" from 1982, "Twenty-One" from 1991, and the chamber opera "For You" from 2009.
Before Fame
He studied piano, singing, and composition at the Royal Academy of Music. He did not begin focusing on composition until he was in his late twenties. His primary composition teacher was Richard Rodney Bennett.
Trivia
He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2012.
Family Life
He was the son of famed composer Sir Lennox Berkeley. His godfather was Benjamin Britten. He fathered a daughter named Jessica with his wife Deborah Rogers.
Associated With
He had many notable guests on "Private Passions," including Kiran Desai in 2007.
