Elisabeth Lutyens

Elisabeth Lutyens, CBE (1906–1983), was a pioneering British composer known for her radical approach to music. Born in London as the youngest daughter of renowned architect Sir Edwin Lutyens, she declared her intention to become a composer at the age of nine. Studying in Paris, she was deeply influenced by Debussy before embracing serialist techniques, making her one of the first British composers to adopt this avant-garde method. Her prolific and uncompromising work, often described as terse and unadorned, has seen a resurgence of interest, with recent recordings of her complete piano works bringing her innovative compositions to new audiences. Lutyens' contributions to British twentieth-century music remain a testament to her groundbreaking spirit.