Richard Stoker
Encyclopedia
Richard Stoker is a British composer and writer.
He started playing the piano
at six; at seven he was composing. After initial encouragement from Arthur Benjamin
and Benjamin Britten
, he studied under Lennox Berkeley
at the Royal Academy of Music
. After winning the Mendelssohn Scholarship
in 1962, he studied under Nadia Boulanger
in Paris
. After that he became a notable actor in films TV stage etc. He also was a Professor of composition at the Royal Academy of Music for 26 years. He was a tutor also at that institution and later became the Hon Treasurer and a Founder member of the Royal Academy of Music Guild. Stoker is also an Associate of the Royal College of Music and a Founder member of the Atlantic Council.
Stoker has declared the piano to be his favourite instrument, with the guitar
a close second. He has produced a number of pieces for both instruments. Among his other works are opera
s, a piano concerto
, three string quartet
s, three piano trio
s, song cycle
s, choral works, orchestral works
and organ
music. He is a fellow of the Royal Academy of Music, and is a former editor of Composer magazine.
Stoker is also an actor and film actor -- he has appeared in over 100 films worldwide.
Stoker is also a writer of fiction: he has published two novels, short stories and poetry, and has also written three plays. He has also exhibited drawings and paintings.
He started playing the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
at six; at seven he was composing. After initial encouragement from Arthur Benjamin
Arthur Benjamin
Arthur Leslie Benjamin was an Australian composer, pianist, conductor and teacher. He is best known as the composer of Jamaican Rhumba, composed in 1938.-Biography:...
and Benjamin Britten
Benjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to...
, he studied under Lennox Berkeley
Lennox Berkeley
Sir Lennox Randal Francis Berkeley was an English composer.- Biography :He was born in Oxford, England, and educated at the Dragon School, Gresham's School and Merton College, Oxford...
at the Royal Academy of Music
Royal Academy of Music
The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a conservatoire, Britain's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999. The Academy was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French harpist and composer Nicolas...
. After winning the Mendelssohn Scholarship
Mendelssohn Scholarship
The Mendelssohn Scholarship refers to two scholarships awarded in Germany and in the United Kingdom. Both commemorate the composer, Felix Mendelssohn, and are awarded to promising young musicians to enable them to continue their development.-History:...
in 1962, he studied under Nadia Boulanger
Nadia Boulanger
Nadia Boulanger was a French composer, conductor and teacher who taught many composers and performers of the 20th century.From a musical family, she achieved early honours as a student at the Paris Conservatoire, but believing that her talent as a composer was inferior to that of her younger...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. After that he became a notable actor in films TV stage etc. He also was a Professor of composition at the Royal Academy of Music for 26 years. He was a tutor also at that institution and later became the Hon Treasurer and a Founder member of the Royal Academy of Music Guild. Stoker is also an Associate of the Royal College of Music and a Founder member of the Atlantic Council.
Stoker has declared the piano to be his favourite instrument, with the guitar
Classical guitar
The classical guitar is a 6-stringed plucked string instrument from the family of instruments called chordophones...
a close second. He has produced a number of pieces for both instruments. Among his other works are opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
s, a piano concerto
Piano concerto
A piano concerto is a concerto written for piano and orchestra.See also harpsichord concerto; some of these works are occasionally played on piano...
, three string quartet
String quartet
A string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string players – usually two violin players, a violist and a cellist – or a piece written to be performed by such a group...
s, three piano trio
Piano trio
A piano trio is a group of piano and two other instruments, usually a violin and a cello, or a piece of music written for such a group. It is one of the most common forms found in classical chamber music...
s, song cycle
Song cycle
A song cycle is a group of songs designed to be performed in a sequence as a single entity. As a rule, all of the songs are by the same composer and often use words from the same poet or lyricist. Unification can be achieved by a narrative or a persona common to the songs, or even, as in Schumann's...
s, choral works, orchestral works
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
and organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
music. He is a fellow of the Royal Academy of Music, and is a former editor of Composer magazine.
Stoker is also an actor and film actor -- he has appeared in over 100 films worldwide.
Stoker is also a writer of fiction: he has published two novels, short stories and poetry, and has also written three plays. He has also exhibited drawings and paintings.