John Casken (b.1949) is an English composer, and Professor of Music at the University of Manchester since 1992. Casken was born at Barnsley, Yorkshire, United Kingdom. After attending the University of Birmingham, Casken travelled to Poland in 1971, where he studied at the Academy of Music in Warsaw, and with Witold Lutosławski—who was to have a deep influence on his compositions. He came to the attention of the musical community in 1980, when he was the featured composer at the Bath Festival. Casken's music shows the influence of Messiaen, Tippett and Lutosławski, although he has his own distinctive style. Whilst some of his output is composed within traditional forms such as the concerto grosso, opera and (recently) symphony, Casken has also experimented with freer structures. John Casken's academic career began at the University of Birmingham in 1973, where he was a lecturer until 1979. He then returned to his native Yorkshire, lecturing at Huddersfield Polytechnic from 1979–81. At University of Durham from 1981–92, one of his doctoral students was James MacMillan. Casken has an association with many performing ensembles in the UK, particularly The Lindsays (string quartet), the BBC Philharmonic and the Northern Sinfonia, the latter having recorded several of his works. His music is published by Schott Music Limited.
Selected works
- Orion Over Farne for orchestra (1984)
- Golem, opera, (1986-88). Written for the Almeida Festival where it was premiered in 1989. It won the first Britten Award for Composition the next year. Starting with the Golem's death, it tells the classic legend in flashback.
- Cello Concerto (1991)
- Violin Concerto (1994-95)
- Sortilège for orchestra (1995-96)
- Distant Variations for saxophone quartet and wind orchestra (1996)
- Après un silence for violin and piano (1998)
- God’s Liar full-length opera (1996-2000) libretto by John Casken and Emma Warner
- To the lovers' well for male vocal quartet (counter-tenor, two tenors and bass) (2001)
- Symphony: Broken Consort, (2004).
