Peter Maxwell Davies

Lore & Background

Davies was born in Salford, Lancashire, the son of an optical instrument manufacturer and an amateur painter. At age four, after seeing The Gondoliers, he declared he would be a composer. As a 14-year-old, he submitted a composition called Blue Ice to BBC Children's Hour; producer Trevor Hill mentored him, making him resident composer. He studied at the University of Manchester and the Royal Manchester College of Music, where he formed New Music Manchester with fellow students Harrison Birtwistle, Alexander Goehr, Elgar Howarth and John Ogdon.

Reader's Guide

Peter Maxwell Davies was a central figure in late 20th-century British music, known for his stylistic range and willingness to shock. His move to Orkney and founding of the St Magnus Festival rooted his work in a specific place, and he frequently involved local school orchestras. His environmental activism, including the protest piece The Yellow Cake Revue, and his outspoken political views—republican turned monarchist, critic of Labour governments—marked him as a public intellectual. His legacy includes a large, varied body of work and a model of composer-as-citizen engaged with social and political issues.

Did You Know?

• At age four, after seeing Gilbert and Sullivan's The Gondoliers, Davies told his parents he was going to be a composer.
• Davies was a vice-president of the Campaign for Homosexual Equality and a lifelong supporter of gay rights.