Oliver Knussen

Oliver Knussen's composing and conducting careers began with early successes, and he continued to be active in both fields. His early compositions were influenced by the Russian and American traditions of orchestral writing. A large proportion of these early pieces were also composed with twelve-tone and serial techniques. His later music employed detailed harmonic and rhythmic structures to create complex but clearly defined textures, with fine orchestral color. In all of his work, an accessible sound world is united with highly thought-out structural details. Knussen was bo...