Brian Elias

Brian Elias was born in Bombay, India, and has lived in the U.K. since he was thirteen years old. After studying at the Royal College of Music he undertook private studies with Elisabeth Lutyens. His first major orchestral work L'Eylah was premiered at the BBC Proms in 1984. He has since had his works performed and recorded extensively by leading orchestras and soloists including the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Britten Sinfonia, Psappha Ensemble, Jane Manning, Roderick Williams, Nicholas Daniels, Natalie Clein, Leonard Elschenbroich, and the Jerusalem Quartet. His monumental Five Songs to Poems by Irina Ratushinskya was premiered in 1989 and secured his reputation as one of Britain's preeminent composers. Elias collaborated with Kenneth MacMillan on his final ballet The Judas Tree, premiered in 1992 at the Royal Opera House. The Judas Tree has subsequently been revived on numerous occasions by the Royal Ballet and toured internationally. In 2017 his Cello Concerto was premiered at the BBC Proms by Leonard Elschenbroich and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. He has won two British Composer Awards - the first for his 2010 work Doubles, and the second for his 2013 work Electra Mourns – and many of his orchestral works, chamber music and songs have been recorded on the NMC label.

Biography

Brian Elias was born in Bombay, India, and has lived in the U.K. since he was thirteen years old. After studying at the Royal College of Music he undertook private studies with Elisabeth Lutyens. His first major orchestral work L'Eylah was premiered at the BBC Proms in 1984. He has since had his works performed and recorded extensively by leading orchestras and soloists including the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Britten Sinfonia, Psappha Ensemble, Jane Manning, Roderick Williams, Nicholas Daniels, Natalie Clein, Leonard Elschenbroich, and the Jerusalem Quartet. His monumental Five Songs to Poems by Irina Ratushinskya was premiered in 1989 and secured his reputation as one of Britain's preeminent composers. Elias collaborated with Kenneth MacMillan on his final ballet The Judas Tree, premiered in 1992 at the Royal Opera House. The Judas Tree has subsequently been revived on numerous occasions by the Royal Ballet and toured internationally. In 2017 his Cello Concerto was premiered at the BBC Proms by Leonard Elschenbroich and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. He has won two British Composer Awards - the first for his 2010 work Doubles, and the second for his 2013 work Electra Mourns – and many of his orchestral works, chamber music and songs have been recorded on the NMC label.

Recordings by this composer

Recordings
Five Songs to Poems by Irina Ratushinskaya cover

Five Songs to Poems by Irina Ratushinskaya

NMC Recordings

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The House That Jack Built cover

The House That Jack Built

NMC Recordings

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Electra Mourns cover

Electra Mourns

NMC Recordings

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Meet me in the Green Glen cover

Meet me in the Green Glen

NMC Recordings

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Compilations with this composer

Compilations
Spectrum CD Cover

Spectrum

NMC Recordings

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Prime Cuts

Prime Cuts

NMC Recordings

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The NMC Songbook

The NMC Songbook

NMC Recordings

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Sound Census CD Cover

Endymion: Sound Census

NMC Recordings

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In Sunlight - Pieces for Madeleine Mitchell cover

In Sunlight - Pieces for Madeleine Mitchell

NMC Recordings

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Jane Manning cover

Jane Manning sings Weir, Nash, Connolly, Bauld, Elias, Payne, Gilbert

NMC Recordings

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Music Map

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