Richardson was born in
Edinburgh, where he worked for some time as a pianist for the
BBC before going to
London to study piano and composition, from 1929 to 1930, with
Harold Craxton at the
Royal Academy of Music. In 1931 he undertook a concert tour of Australia and New Zealand. He was accompanist for
violinistCarl Flesch from 1936 to 1939. Richardson married renowned
oboistJanet Craxton, the daughter of his teacher Harold Craxton, in 1961.[1] He was appointed Professor of Piano at the Royal Academy of Music in 1960, a position he held until his death in 1978.
Richardson composed many pieces for piano, as well as some chamber music, including several works for the oboe which he wrote for his wife. He made a recording of his Sussex Lullaby with the viola player Watson Forbes and also dedicated his brief Intrada for viola and piano to Forbes.[2][3]
Richardson died, aged 74, in London.
Selected works
Richardson's compositions are largely published by
Augener Edition, Comus Edition,
Oxford University Press, the Scottish Music Centre and Tobias Broeker.
Vocal music
Animal Nursery Rhymes, for 2 voices and piano (words by Richard Willis) (1934)[4]