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Geoffrey King

b. 1949

British composer

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About Geoffrey King

Born 1949. Geoffrey King is a British composer and pedagogue.

Geoffrey King (born 1949) is a British composer and teacher.

Biography Born in Croydon, England, King's first musical studies were at the Royal School of Church Music at Addington Palace. Later, at the Royal College of Music, he studied with Humphrey Searle, Justin Connolly and Alexander Goehr. As a postgraduate, he undertook further work with Alexander Goehr at University of Southampton and also with Jonathan Harvey. With an Italian government scholarship, he went to study with Ernesto Rubin de Cervin at the Conservatorio "Benedetto Marcello" in Venice.

In 1976, King moved to Edinburgh to work at St Mary's Music School and during this time, together with Peter Nelson, he formed ECAT, the Scottish promoter of new music concerts. After twelve years in Edinburgh, he moved to The Hague to do further study at the Koninklijk Conservatorium and subsequently settled in Amsterdam, where he now lives. From 1987-89 he was composer-in-residence at Huddersfield Polytechnic and then at the NCOS (National Centre for Orchestral Studies) in London.

Works Geoffrey King has written about 100 works. His orchestral music includes several symphonies and concertante pieces. He has also written much instrumental/chamber music and some vocal and theatre music. He has been commissioned and performed by some of the main ensembles and new music promoters, including Aldeburgh Festival, Almeida Festival, Arditti Quartet, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, ECAT, Edinburgh International Festival, London Sinfonietta, Lontano, Musica Nova, Nash Ensemble, Piano Circus, Schönberg Ensemble, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Slagwerkgroep Den Haag and St. Magnus Festival.

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Education
Royal College of Music, University of Southampton, Conservatorio di Musica Benedetto Marcello di Venezia
Employers
University of Huddersfield

People in Geoffrey King's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Geoffrey King's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Geoffrey King?

British composer

When was Geoffrey King born?

Geoffrey King was born on 16 January 1949.

What is Geoffrey King's occupation?

Geoffrey King is a composer and pedagogue.

What nationality is Geoffrey King?

Geoffrey King is British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Geoffrey King

· Wikidata: Q5534724

· DBpedia: Geoffrey King (composer)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Geoffrey King. https://biography.guide/geoffrey-king-composer/

MLA: "Geoffrey King." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/geoffrey-king-composer/.

Chicago: "Geoffrey King." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/geoffrey-king-composer/.

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