John Tavener

He was born in London and attended the Royal Academy of Music there.

His dramatic cantata The Whale 1968 was the first performance by the London Sinfonietta[?] and was later recorded by Apple Records. Other works released by Apple included his Celtic Requiem.

Joined the Russian Orthodox Church in 1977 which became a major influence on his work.

Later prominent works include The Akathist of Thanksgiving 1988, The Protecting Veil debuted with cellist Steven Isserlis[?] at the 1989 Proms (released 1992 by Virgin Classics) and Song For Athene (played at the funeral of Princess Diana).

He was knighted for his services to music in the 2000 New Year’s Honours list.

External link Full biography and recordings (http://www.classical.net/music/comp.lst/acc/tavener/)