It is with very, very heavy hearts that we learned today of the passing of John McCabe.
John had been composer-in-association for the ESO since 2013, an affiliation that the orchestra will always take enormous pride in. He was one of the most prolific and outstanding composers of his generation, a virtuoso pianist, and a widely-loved colleague and friend. Our condolences go out to his wife Monica, and to everyone who knew and loved this remarkable man.
The sheer magnitude of John’s achievement as a musician will take years for music historians to fully appreciate, but when today’s loss is absorbed and the assessments are complete, he will surely stand as one of the greatest composers that Britain has ever produced.
The ESO’s Principal Conductor, Kenneth Woods, says of the orchestra’s collaboration with McCabe that “it will forever be a source of deep regret that John’s appointment as composer-in-association with the orchestra coincided almost exactly with the onset of his illness. There were so many more projects we wanted to do, and I know John bitterly regretted the times he was unable to travel to join us. John was so excited about the prospects for the partnership and was infinitely generous with his wisdom and energy, helping us to put his music in the right contexts. The video interviews we recorded as part of the association are fascinating- John could speak with awe-inspiring fluency on any musical topic. He was someone who could inspire and instruct the most expert professional musicians and engage with a general audience with wit and warmth.”
The English Symphony Orchestra will continue to keep McCabe’s music in the orchestra’s repertoire and hope to celebrate John’s legacy with the orchestra through future recordings.
On March 1, the ESO are presenting a chamber music concert by Woods’s string trio, Ensemble Epomeo, which will include a performance of McCabe’s String Trio. The concert is free to members of ESO Friends, but also open to the public. Booking details are here.