James Whitbourn

After graduating from Magdalen College Oxford, James Whitbourn started his career in broadcasting, composing many works for the BBC. Annelies, the setting of The Diary of Anne Frank, is among the most performed large-scale choral works of the twenty-first century. Other scores reflect his eclectic interests, from a planetary portrait of C. S. Lewis (The Seven Heavens) to a portrayal of Ada Lovelace, a Carnatic-influenced work for dance (Luminosity) and a narrative work on the NASA Apollo...See more

After graduating from Magdalen College Oxford, James Whitbourn started his career in broadcasting, composing many works for the BBC. Annelies, the setting of The Diary of Anne Frank, is among the most performed large-scale choral works of the twenty-first century. Other scores reflect his eclectic interests, from a planetary portrait of C. S. Lewis (The Seven Heavens) to a portrayal of Ada Lovelace, a Carnatic-influenced work for dance (Luminosity) and a narrative work on the NASA Apollo missions. He has written for several national occasions, including a D-Day anniversary and the Queen Mother's funeral. Among the renowned ensembles who have recorded his music are the choirs of King's College, Cambridge, Magdalen College, Oxford, Clare College, Cambridge, and Wells Cathedral. James Whitbourn is also an award-winning conductor who, as a member of Oxford University's music faculty, directs the university's choral summer courses. See less