Benjamin Britten

Benjamin Britten was an English composer, conductor and pianist, considered to be one of the greatest composers of the 20th century. He was a child prodigy—learning to play the piano at the age of two and composing his first piece at five—and grew up to be the central figure of the British classical music of his time. Although he attended the Royal College of Music, it was his private study with composer Frank Bridge that influenced him more. He first came to the public attention at the age of twenty with the a cappella choral work, titled, ‘A Boy was Born’ and leapt to international fame within a short period with ‘Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge.’ He was a prolific composer and his large body of works included opera, other vocal music, orchestral and chamber pieces. Over the years, he received a number of awards and honors. He was also the first musician to receive life peerage and become Baron Britten. Today he is best remembered for works like ‘Peter Grimes’, and ‘The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra’, and most importantly, ‘The War Requiem.’