English composer Jolyon BRETTINGHAM SMITH dies
BERLIN -
Last Saturday English composer Jolyon BRETTINGHAM SMITH (1949-2008) died while broadcasting his classical music radio program Jolyon Live at the German cultural channel RBB.
Born in Southampton Brettingham Smith moved to Heidelberg and later Berlin at the age of 19 to study musicology. At the Hochschule für Musik und darstellende Kunst in the German capital Isang Yun was his teacher. In the mid-70's Brettingham Smith joined the Gruppe Neue Musik Berlin.
After a short stay in Ireland Brettingham Smith returned to Berlin in 1981 to become guest professor at the Hochschule der Künste. Four years later he was appointed professor of musical theory and composition while since 1996 he directed the Institut für Neue Musik of the Hochschule.
To present (contemporary) classical music to a larger audience Brettingham Smith created radio programs at the German music channel WDR3 (Workshop Neue Musik, Klassik Forum) and the cultural channel RBB (Jolyon Live). After the announcement of a CD of Debussy's La Mer in this last program Brettingham Smith collapsed and died.
Jolyon Brettingham Smith died at the age of 58.
Laatste aanpassing op Thursday 7 August 2008
