Composer dies in Dublin

The composer James Wilson has died in Dublin aged 82.

The composer James Wilson has died in Dublin aged 82.

Born in London, Mr Wilson moved in 1948 to Ireland where he wrote dozens of operas, ballets, symphonies and concertos, including his breakthrough work, the children's opera The Hunting of the Snark in 1965.

Among his more recent works was A Passionate Man, a 1995 opera on Jonathan Swift to mark the 250th anniversary of the poet's foundation of St Patrick's Hospital, Dublin.

Mr Wilson was a founder-member of Aosdána, the State-sponsored academy of creative artists.

READ MORE

He was also professor of composition in the Royal Irish Academy of Music, and for many years acted as course director of the Ennis/IMRO Composition Summer School.

He received the Marten Toonder award in 1997, and a number of CDs of his orchestral and chamber music were released in recent years.