Nataraja for Flute and Piano by Harvey

Jonathan Harvey (1939-2012) was a British composer who made significant contributions to contemporary music. He studied music at St John’s College, Cambridge, where he became a prominent music scholar. Harvey taught at Sussex University and Stanford University, and he was honoured as an Honorary Fellow of St. John’s College, Cambridge.

During the early 1980s, Harvey’s career took a transformative turn when he worked at IRCAM, where he created remarkable electronic music compositions. His repertoire included diverse genres such as orchestral pieces like “Tranquil Abiding” and “Madonna of Winter and Spring,” chamber works including four string quartets and “Soleil Noir/Chitra,” as well as compositions for solo instruments. Harvey also ventured into opera, receiving critical acclaim for works like “Passion and Resurrection,” “Inquest of Love,” and “Wagner Dream.”

Harvey’s music was performed by renowned ensembles worldwide, earning him numerous honorary doctorates and recognition as a member of Academia Europaea. He received esteemed awards, including the Britten Award for composition and the Giga-Hertz Prize for his contributions to electronic music.

Despite battling illness in his final year, Harvey completed three notable compositions: “Cirrus Light” for solo clarinet, “The Annunciation” for the choir of St. John’s College, Cambridge, and “Plainsongs for Peace and Light,” a choral work reflecting his profound spirituality.