Redgate

Michael Finnissy first came to prominence in the mid-1970s with his orchestral works Offshore and Sea and Sky and his gargantuan piano piece English Country Tunes. Since then he has slowly been consolidating his position and has gathered a loyal band of devotees here and abroad. In fact, to a certain extent his music has probably found greater appreciation abroad than in this country a syndrome that Finnissy's music shares in common with his fellow countryman Brian Ferneyhough.

Michael Finnissy is a composer known for his imaginative, eclectic style and sometimes controversial advocacy of political and cultural ideas within his musical works. One often finds sympathy for gay-related issues or Christian spirituality or progressive political ideas in his compositions. Some have classed Finnissy's style under the umbrella of the so-called New Complexity movement, mostly found in the U.K., but he disavows such a connection. His music can be challenging, with textures of multiple layers, and use of microtonal harmonies and complex rhythms.