Richard Blackford
Composer

Richard Blackford - Headshot

Richard Blackford is one of the foremost concert and media composers in Europe. His concert works are performed regularly around the world and his music for film and television is broadcast frequently in almost every European country. His much-acclaimed Pietà won the Ivor Novello Composer Award in 2020 for the Choral Category and has already received multiple performances. World-renowned tenor Jonas Kaufmann writes of Pietà: "Richard Blackford has created an outstanding choral work: a passionate and personal tribute in memory of all who suffer from violence, suppression and political persecution, which has deeply impressed me. Finally a modern composer who is not afraid of writing beautiful and touching music!"  

Highlights of 2023 include: the premiere of  Songs Of Nadia Anjuman (for soprano and string orchestra), a Britten Sinfonia commission, which received five-star reviews from The Times and The Guardian; Clarissa's Tango (for violin and pianos) premiered by Clarissa Bevilaqua in at the 2023 Cervo Festival, Italy, and available on video on YourTube as well as audio. 2023 also sees release of Blackford's new orchestration of the Verdi Requiem on Nimbus Records (The Bach Choir/David Hill) and performances of Pietá in Salisbury Cathedral, Leicester, then with the Dorchester Singers and the Benson Singers in 2024. Also In 2024: the premiere of Three Rossetti Songs (for chorus, baritone and solo cello) on January 13th at St Swithins Church, Bath, conducted by Gavin Carr;  and performances of Mirror Of Perfection in Cadogan Hall and Worcester Cathedral. Richard was awarded Best Creator for his cantata Babel in the 2023 Making Music Awards.

In February 2025 his Cello Concerto, written for Alisa Weilerstein, will be premiered in Prague with the Czech Philharmonic under Tomáš Netopil, and in 2026 a new orchestral song cycle Unter Unserer Sonne, commissioned by the Hofer Symphoniker for the mezzo Maria Hegele. The Hofer Symphoniker also gives the German premiere of his second violin concerto Niobe on September 27th 2024. La Sagrada Famila Symphony will be premiered on May 8th 2025 at the Royal Festival Hall by the Philharmonia, conducted by David Hill, and featuring the film that Richard has directed to accompany the symphony.

 

New CD recordings of Vision Of A Garden, Mirror Of Perfection, La Sagrada Familia Symphony, Babel  and Richard's new orchestration of the Verdi Requiem for two pianos, organ and percussion, commissioned by The Bach Choir, will be released in 2023/2024

Richard is a Trustee of The Bach Choir and President of the Bournemouth Symphony Chorus.

He is published by Novello and Nimbus Publishing and his current recordings are available on Nimbus and Signum Records.

Pietà

Album cover for Richard Blackford' Pietà.

Taster