Joby Talbot

Born in London in 1971, Joby Talbot has a versatile yet distinct musical aesthetic that is equally at home in the concert hall, on stage, or screen. Talbot’s critically acclaimed first opera, Everest, was given its premiere in 2015 by The Dallas Opera. In the same year, he was awarded the prestigious Prix Benois de la Danse for The Winter’s Tale. Other highlights include the ballet scores Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (2011) and The Winter’s Tale (2014), both collaborations with choreographer Christopher Wheeldon for The Royal Ballet and National Ballet of Canada that have since entered the repertory of companies worldwide; arrangements of songs by Detroit rock duo The White Stripes alongside Talbot’s original works for choreographer Wayne McGregor’s unparalleled Chroma (The Royal Ballet, 2006); the choral Path of Miracles (2005), a 60-minute a cappella journey along the Camino de Santiago commissioned by Nigel Short’s Tenebrae and performed regularly by international ensembles; Worlds, Stars, Systems, Infinity (2012), an additional movement to Holst’s The Planets for the Philharmonia Orchestra’s interactive digital installation, Universe of Sound under Esa-Pekka Salonen; Genus Quartet (2013) for Los Angeles’ acclaimed Calder Quartet, premiered as part of the Barbican’s weekend of new music curated by Nico Muhly; and the hugely popular animated feature Sing (Garth Jennings, 2016) as well as feature films The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Garth Jennings, 2005) and Closed Circuit (John Crowley, 2013). For the BBC Proms, Talbot has written The Wishing Tree (The King’s Singers, 2002); Sneaker Wave (BBC National Orchestra of Wales, 2004); an arrangement of Purcell’s Chacony in G Minor (BBC Symphony Orchestra, 2011); and Ink Dark Moon, a concerto for the acclaimed guitarist Miloš Karadaglić (BBC Symphony Orchestra, 2018). Future works include a Cantata commissioned by Independent Opera for Britten Sinfonia and Britten Sinfonia Voices and a third narrative ballet with Christopher Wheeldon.