Geoffrey Winters

Geoffrey Walter Horace Winters (born 17 October 1928) is a British composer and music educationalist. His works span from large-scale orchestral and concertante pieces (including two symphonies and the Violin Concerto), to chamber and instrumental works and pedagogical music for children.

Early life and career Born in Chingford, Winters is the son of carver and letter designer Leo Hill Winters, and he served a brief apprenticeship with his father from the age of 17. (His brother, Eric Winters, became a sculptor). Within a few years, however, from the Variations for Two Pianos, Op. 19, he had returned to a more tonal, neo-classical style, with Prokofiev and Shostakovich among the influences. The First Symphony, composed in 1961, was performed by Owain Arwel Hughes with the New Philharmonia Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall on 4 October 1973, and lasts 16 minutes. The more expansive Second Symphony was first performed by the Guildhall School of Music Graduate Orchestra in 1978.

Freelance composer While in Chingford Winters lived at 4, Victoria Road. The Violin Concerto, composed in 1974, received its premiere a decade later in Lavenham Church, on 16 September 1984, performed by Jessie Ridley with the Lavenham Sinfonia Orchestra, conducted by Frederick Marshall. Other works composed in Suffolk include the Studies from a Rainbow for piano, Op. 70, the Tributaries for solo harp, Op. 79, Mutations for two trumpets (1988) and Summer Songs for chorus, Op. 90. The Variations for Two Pianos Op. 19 was given its world premiere by Claire and Antoinette Cann in Cambridge on 2 October 2008, nearly fifty years after it had been composed. His wife died in 2006. His memoirs were published in 2008. String Quartet No. 1, Op. 10 (1956) Piano Sonata, Op. 12 (1958) Concertino for piano, horn and strings, Op. 18 Variations for two pianos, Op. 19 (1960) String Quartet No. 2, Op. 21 (1960) Symphony No. 1 Op. 23 (1961) Aspects for flute, clarinet, horn and harp (1961) Flute Sonatina (1965) Piano Sonatina (1966) Thames Journey, song cycle for junior voices and ensemble, Op. 31 (1967) Violin Sonata (1967) Violin Concerto, Op. 51 (1974) The Mind of Man for chorus and orchestra, Op. 52 (1975) Symphony No. 2, Op. 55 (1977) Viola Sonata No. 2, Op. 57 (1978) Five Epigrams for string quartet, Op. 62 (1978) Studies from a Rainbow for piano, Op. 71 (1981) Mutations for two trumpets (1988) Summer Songs for chorus and piano, Op. 90 (1990)