Michael Nyman was born in 1944. In 1964 he abandoned composition to work as a musicologist and critic, then returned to it after writing the libretto for Harrison Birtwistle's Down by the Greenwood Side, in 1968. With the Michael Nyman Band, he developed his compositional style: strong melodies, assertive rhythms, and precise ensemble playing. He has written several stage works and collaborated on 11 films with Peter Greenaway. Last year his first violin concerto premiered in Hamburg.