Francis Burt (composer)

Francis Burt (28 April 1926 – 3 October 2012) was a British composer and academic teacher who spent most of his life in Austria. He was professor of composition at the Musikhochschule Wien, and organised the 1 Long Night of New Sounds concert series at the Vienna Konzerthaus. He composed the ballet Der Golem, operas, orchestral works, and music for ensembles and for voices. Life Born in London, Burt attended St Edward’s School in Oxford in 1944 and 1945 as part of an officer’s training. He completed a course as an engineer at Cambridge University and served as a first lieutenant in Nigeria from 1946 to 1947. He studied at the Royal Academy of Music from 1948 to 1951, where he became a composition pupil of Howard Ferguson. He also attended the Summer School of Music at Bryanston and Dartington. Subsequently, he was a student at the Musikhochschule Berlin, studying composition with Boris Blacher. Burt moved to Vienna in 1956 and was buried at the Vienna Central Cemetery. Awards * 1981: * 1992: Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria. Work Burt’s compositions were inspired by African traditions, such as the drumming of Nigerian Ibo people. It was performed at the