Weir was born in
Cambridge, England, to Scottish parents. She studied with
John Tavener while at the
North London Collegiate School[3] and subsequently with
Robin Holloway at
King's College, Cambridge, graduating in 1976. Her music often draws on sources from medieval history, as well as the traditional stories and music of her parents' homeland, Scotland. Although she has achieved international recognition for her orchestral and chamber works, Weir is best known for her operas and theatrical works. From 1995 to 2000, she was Artistic Director of the
Spitalfields Festival in London. She held the post of Composer in Association for the
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra from 1995 to 1998.
Weir's musical language is fairly conservative, with a "knack of making simple musical ideas appear freshly mysterious".[14] Her first stage work, The Black Spider, is a one-act opera that was premiered in Canterbury in 1985, loosely based on the
short novel of the same name by
Jeremias Gotthelf. She has subsequently written one more "micro-opera", three full-length operas, and an opera for television. In 1987, her first half-length opera, A Night at the Chinese Opera, was premiered at
Kent Opera. This was followed by a further three full-length operas: The Vanishing Bridegroom (1990); Blond Eckbert (1994, commissioned by
English National Opera[15]); and Miss Fortune (Achterbahn) (2011). Her opera Armida, an opera for television, was premiered on
Channel Four in the United Kingdom in 2005. The work was made in co-operation with
Margaret Williams.[16] Weir's commissioned works most notably include We are Shadows (1999) for
Simon Rattle and woman.life.song (2000) for
Jessye Norman. In January 2008, Weir was the focus of the BBC's annual composer weekend at the
Barbican Centre in London. The four days of programmes ended with a first performance of her new commission, CONCRETE, a choral motet. The subject of this piece was inspired by the Barbican building itself – she describes it as 'an imaginary excavation of the Barbican Centre, burrowing through 2,500 years of historical rubble'.[17]
In 2023, Weir was one of twelve composers asked to write a new piece for the
coronation of Charles III and Camilla.[19] Her composition for orchestra, Brighter Visions Shine Afar, was performed before the ceremony began.[20]
HEAVEN ABLAZE in His Breast (5 October 1989, Basildon), based on
E.T.A. Hoffmann's
The Sandman, which won the prize for innovative work at OperaScreen in 1991.[22]
Blond Eckbert Nicholas Folwell (baritone), Blond Eckbert;
Anne-Marie Owens (mezzo-soprano), Berthe;
Christopher Ventris (tenor), Walther / Hugo / An Old Woman; Nerys Jones (soprano), A bird; Chorus and Orchestra of English National Opera;
Sian Edwards (conductor) Collins Classics: CD14612 / NMC: NMC D106
On Buying a Horse: The songs of Judith Weir On Buying a Horse; Ox Mountain Was Covered by Trees; Songs from the Exotic; Scotch Minstrelsy; The Voice of Desire; A Spanish Liederbooklet; King Harald's Saga; Ständchen.
Susan Bickley (mezzo-soprano),
Andrew Kennedy (tenor),
Ailish Tynan (soprano),
Ian Burnside (piano) Signum SIGCD087
The Vanishing Bridegroom. Ailish Tynan (soprano), Anna Stéphany (soprano), Andrew Tortise (tenor), Owen Gilhooly (baritone),
Jonathan Lemalu (bass-baritone), BBC Singers, BBC Symphony Orchestra;
Martyn Brabbins (conductor) – NMC D196
^Weir, Judith. Memoirs of an Accidental Film Artist. In: A Night in at the Opera – Media representations of Opera. Edited by Jeremy Tambling. John Libbey & Company Ltd, London, 1994, p57.
^Weir, Judith. Memoirs of an Accidental Film Artist. In: A Night in at the Opera – Media representations of Opera. Edited by
Jeremy Tambling. John Libbey & Company Ltd, London, 1994, p58.