William Walton

Bio

William Walton (1902–1983) was a leading British composer and conductor whose works bridged late-Romanticism and modernism. Born in Oldham, Lancashire, he studied at Christ Church, Oxford, and gained early recognition with Façade (1923), a setting of Edith Sitwell’s poems that established his reputation for wit and rhythmic vitality. Walton’s catalogue spans orchestral, choral, chamber, and film music. Major concert works include the Viola Concerto (1929), the First Symphony (1935), and the opera Troilus and Cressida (1954). He also composed celebrated scores for Laurence Olivier’s Shakespeare films—Henry V, Hamlet, and Richard III—blending lush orchestration with dramatic clarity. Knighted in 1951 and later appointed to the Order of Merit, Walton spent his later years on the Italian island of Ischia, where he continued to compose until his death in 1983. His music remains a cornerstone of twentieth-century British repertoire.