Peter Maxwell Davies

Sir Peter Maxwell Davies CH CBE
Davies in 2012
Born	(1934-09-08)8 September 1934 Salford, Lancashire, England
Died	14 March 2016(2016-03-14) (aged 81) Sanday, Orkney, Scotland
Occupations	Composer conductor
Works	List of compositions
20th Master of the Queen's Music
In office 2004–2014
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Preceded by	Malcolm Williamson
Succeeded by	Judith Weir

Sir Peter Maxwell Davies CH CBE (8 September 1934 – 14 March 2016) was an English composer and conductor, who in 2004 was made Master of the Queen's Music.^[1]

As a student at both the University of Manchester and the Royal Manchester College of Music, Davies formed a group dedicated to contemporary music called the New Music Manchester with fellow students Harrison Birtwistle, Alexander Goehr, Elgar Howarth and John Ogdon. Davies's compositions include eight works for the stage—from the monodrama Eight Songs for a Mad King, which shocked the audience in 1969, to Kommilitonen!, first performed in 2011—and ten symphonies, written between 1973 and 2013.

As a conductor, Davies was artistic director of the Dartington International Summer School from 1979 to 1984 and associate conductor/composer with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra from 1992 to 2002, holding the latter position with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra as well.