Michael Nyman

Composer and pianist Michael Nyman is not only lauded for his own modular, repetition-based approach to music, he introduced the term "minimal music" -- a precursor to "minimalism" -- through his work as a critic in the 1960s. More recognized by the broader public for his film scores, he began a lasting partnership with director Peter Greenaway in the late '70s that included such arthouse releases as 1989's The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover and 1991's Prospero's Books. It was his BAFTA-nominated score for Jane Campion's 1993 film The Piano that became his best-known wo...