Peter Racine Fricker

Full biography Peter Racine Fricker

Peter Racine Fricker (1920-1990) was an English composer who was known for his contributions to contemporary classical music. Fricker attended the Royal Academy of Music in London and later served in World War II before returning to London to study with Alan Bush. He was among the first generation of British composers to establish their careers after World War II.

Fricker was a prolific composer and wrote over 160 works across a variety of genres. His musical style was characterized by its modernist tendencies, as he often experimented with atonality and serialism. Fricker's works were known for their rigorous structural organization and their exploration of complex musical ideas.

Fricker's contributions to classical music were widely recognized during his lifetime. He won several prestigious awards, including the Koussevitzky Prize and the CBE, and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music in 1982. Despite his critical acclaim, Fricker's music was not always well-received by audiences, who sometimes found it challenging or difficult to understand.

Fricker lived in the United States for the last thirty years of his life , where he continued to compose and teach music. He was a descendant of the French Huguenot religious refugees who came to England in the 17th century.

Overall, Peter Racine Fricker was an innovative and influential composer whose contributions to contemporary classical music continue to be recognized and celebrated today.