Fricker, Peter Racine (1920–1990)

English composer. His music avoided local pastoral influences and learned instead from continental neoclassical and serial models.

He studied at the Royal College of Music in London and later with Mátyás Seiber. His wind quintet won the Clements Prize in 1947 and his first symphony won the Koussevitsky Award. He became composer-in-residence at the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1964.

Works Radio operas The Death of Vivien and My Brother Died (1954).

Ballet Canterbury Prologue (after Chaucer).

Choral oratorio A Vision of Judgment (1957–58); Whispers at the Curtains for baritone, chorus, and orchestra (1984).

Orchestral five symphonies (1948–76), Prelude, Elegy and Finale for strings; violin and viola concertos, Concertante for three pianos and strings.

Chamber wind quintet, four string quartets (1947–76); violin and piano sonata; organ sonata.