We are hugely proud to announce that the Chandos release of Adrian's major orchestral works, including his recently-premiered Violin Concerto, HAS WON the BBC Music Magazine's 2025 Premiere award!
"..soaring, searing, passionately lyrical writing ..a great showcase for a remarkable talent, and living proof that serious, substantial music of the tonal and melodic variety can still (_mirabile dictu_) be found in an original and individual voice." — Jeremy Nicholas, Gramophone Magazine
Adrian died peacefully at home on 10th October 2025 following a
three year journey with terminal cancer. Those three years were
some of the most productive of his life: it was during this period
that he wrote the Concerto for Violin and Orchestra as well as
several other large-scale orchestral works, organised a concert at
London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall to celebrate his music featuring the
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and produced a multi award-winning
recording with Chandos and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra.
Best-known for his score for the worldwide theatre hit War Horse, Adrian
was equally at home in the concert hall, with a whole evening of his
orchestral works, including the world premiere of his Violin Concerto,
performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in June 2023 at the Queen
Elizabeth Hall on London’s Southbank Centre.
He received commissions from many areas of the classical music world
including the BBC Proms, and worked with the UK's top orchestras including
the BBC Symphony, BBC Philharmonic and BBC Concert Orchestras, Royal
Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Opera
North.
His scores for Britain's National Theatre in the past 20 years need
no introduction.. Coram Boy, War Horse, The Curious Incident of the
Dog in the Night-Time and Angels in America, have all transferred to
Broadway and achieved international fame.
His accessible musical style is rooted in various influences including
20th-century English and American music, and is focusssed strongly
on lyricism, rich harmony and strong melody. He was a strong advocate
of live music being performed as much for the enjoyment of the performers
as the audience.
He was passionate about live performance by real musicians and as a
consequence he was particularly sympathetic to the cost challenges
faced by amateur orchestras when it comes to materials hire, as well
as donating his time for free to schools and colleges up and down the
country.
Many of his works are available to hire for performance. Please find
the work you're interested in hiring on the Works page, click on it,
and in the right-hand panel of the detail page for the work, if it
is available for hire, there will be a 'Contact us to hire' button
for sending us an email directly regarding your enquiry.
An English sound at heart.. tonal, accessible.. but with a few “wrong” notes!
Many.. but among them: Walton, Britten, Vaughan Williams, Finzi, Tippett, Copland, Honegger..
I’m a violinist
Violin Concerto, A Fist Full Of Fives, Short Story.. and of course War Horse.
