In this video, the late Oliver Knussen talks about joining the Academy as a professor and why he decided to name his position after alumnus Richard Rodney Bennett.
From his appointment as a professor in 2014 until his death four years later, Knussen taught regular lessons in our Composition Department, sharing his skills as one of the most influential voices in contemporary music. He also worked closely with the Manson Ensemble, the Academy’s contemporary music group, and led seminars discussing important pieces from 20th-century musical history.
In 2019, Hans Abrahamsen was announced as the Oliver Knussen Chair of Composition, continuing the legacy of the celebrated composer, conductor, teacher and polymath in this new Academy position.