The Arts Council regrets the passing of James Wilson
The Arts Council, 8 August 2005
© 2005 The Arts Council

The Arts Council regrets the passing of the composer James Wilson who died on Saturday.

Born in London in 1922, James Wilson studied composition with Alec Rowley at the Trinity College of Music. He moved to Ireland in 1948 after wartime service in the Royal Navy, and became an Irish citizen. For many years, he was professor of composition at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, and a director of the Ennis IMRO Composition Summer School.

Wilson was both a prolific and eclectic composer. Recent works include a Clarinet Concerto commissioned by RT..., a Harp Sonata and a test piece for the 2000 AXA Dublin International Piano Competition, the last two commissioned with funding from the Arts Council.

His works include three symphonies, numerous concerti, ballet music, song cycles, choral works and chamber music, including three string quartets. Four of his seven operas have been produced in Ireland: one, Letters to Theo was recorded by RTÉ Television, another, Grinning at the Devil was produced in Copenhagen, where he has worked extensively in writing for the theatre, both opera and incidental music.

James Wilson received the Marten Toonder award in 1997. In 2000 a CD of his orchestral music was released on the Marco Polo label and a second CD of his songs and chamber music with soprano Jane Manning and Concorde was released in 2003.

Wilson was a founder-member of Aosdána, and president of the Association of Irish Composers.

Speaking today, Paul Johnson, Artists Services Manager of the Arts Council, said, ‘Working to the last, James Wilson was a gentleman, well respected among a wide circle of peers, friends and colleagues’.

Reproduced by kind permission of the publishers/broadcasters © 2005.