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{{Short description|English composer and pianist (born 1944)}}
{{About|the composer/musician Michael Nyman|his eponymous album|Michael Nyman (1981 album)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2014}}
{{BLP sources|date=January 2015}}
[[File:Michael Nyman.jpg|thumb|Nyman in 2015]]
'''Michael Laurence Nyman''', [[Order of the British Empire|CBE]] (born 23 March 1944) is an English composer, pianist, [[libretto|librettist]], [[musicologist]], and [[filmmaker]]. He is known for numerous film [[soundtrack|scores]] (many written during his lengthy collaboration with the [[film director|filmmaker]] [[Peter Greenaway]]), and his [[multi-platinum]] [[The Piano (soundtrack)|soundtrack album]] to [[Jane Campion]]'s ''[[The Piano]]''. He has written a number of operas, including ''[[The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat (opera)|The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat]]''; ''[[Letters, Riddles and Writs]]''; ''[[Noises, Sounds & Sweet Airs]]''; ''[[Facing Goya]]''; ''[[Man and Boy: Dada]]''; ''[[Love Counts]]''; and ''Sparkie: Cage and Beyond''. He has written six [[concerti]], five [[string quartet]]s, and many other [[chamber music|chamber]] works, many for his [[Michael Nyman Band]]. He is also a performing pianist. Nyman prefers to write opera over other forms of music.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2005/Dec05/Nyman_Interview.htm |title=Michael Nyman – Interview by John Leeman- December 2005 MusicWeb-International |publisher=Musicweb-international.com |date=7 November 2005 |access-date=10 August 2014}}</ref>

==Early life and education==
Nyman was born in [[Stratford, London]], to a family of secular Jewish furriers who immigrated from Poland.<ref>{{cite book|last=Siôn|first=Pwyll ap|author-link=Pwyll ap Siôn|year=2007|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4VNjLMkPcUQC&pg=PA15|page=15|title=The Music of Michael Nyman: Texts, Contexts and Intertexts|publisher=Ashgate Publishing|isbn=9781859282106|doi=10.4324/9781315085821}}</ref><ref name=Telegraph>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/fameandfortune/8498504/Michael-Nyman-on-fame-and-fortune.html |title=Michael Nyman on fame and fortune |first=Mark |last=Anstead |date=8 May 2011 |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]] |access-date=15 November 2025}}</ref>

Nyman was educated at the [[Sir George Monoux College|Sir George Monoux Grammar School, Walthamstow]]. He studied from 1961 until 1967 at [[King's College London]], and at the [[Royal Academy of Music]] until 1967 with [[Alan Bush]] and [[Thurston Dart]],<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.limelightmagazine.com.au/Article/257663,on-the-road-with-michael-nyman.aspx |title=On the road with Michael Nyman|magazine=[[Limelight (magazine)|Limelight]] |date=17 May 2011 |access-date=10 August 2014}}</ref> focusing on piano and seventeenth-century [[baroque music]]. He won the [[Howard Ellis Carr|Howard Carr]] Memorial Prize for composition in July 1964.{{sfn|Siôn|2007|p=18}} In 1965–66 Nyman secured a residency in [[Romania]] to study folk-song, supported by a [[British Council]] bursary.<ref name=sion />

==Career==
===Work as music critic, 1968–1976===
Nyman says he discovered his aesthetic by playing the [[aria]] "[[Madamina, il catalogo è questo]]" from Mozart's ''[[Don Giovanni]]'' on his piano in the style of [[Jerry Lee Lewis]], which "dictated the dynamic, articulation and texture of everything I've subsequently done."<ref>[[Andrew Ford (composer)|Andrew Ford]]. "Jerry Lee Lewis Plays Mozart." ''Composer to Composer'' London: [[Quartet Books]], 1993. pp 192–195, p 194</ref> It subsequently became the base for his 1977 piece ''In Re Don Giovanni.''

In 1969, Nyman provided the [[libretto]] of [[Harrison Birtwistle]]'s opera ''[[Down by the Greenwood Side (opera)|Down by the Greenwood Side]]'' and directed the short film ''Love Love Love'' (based on [[the Beatles]]' "[[All You Need Is Love]]").<ref name=sion>{{harvnb|Siôn|2007|p=83}}</ref> He then settled into music criticism, where he is generally acknowledged to have been the first to apply the term "[[minimalism]]" to music, in a 1968 article in ''[[The Spectator]]'' magazine about the English composer [[Cornelius Cardew]]. He wrote introductions for [[George Frideric Handel]]'s [[Concerti grossi, Op. 6 (Handel)|Concerti grossi, Op. 6]], and interviewed [[George Brecht]] in 1976.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Et |url=https://et-musica.cl/en/george-brecht-en-entrevista-con-m-nyman/ |access-date=2024-06-13 |language=es-ES}}</ref> His 1976 album ''[[Decay Music]]'' was produced by [[Brian Eno]]. In 1974 Nyman published an influential book called ''Experimental Music: Cage and Beyond'', which explored the influence of [[John Cage]] on [[European classical music|classical]] composers.

===Founding of Campiello Band and collaboration with Peter Greenaway, 1976–1990 ===
In the 1970s, Nyman was a member of the [[Portsmouth Sinfonia]] – the self-described World's Worst Orchestra. He was the featured pianist on the orchestra's recording of "[[Bridge over Troubled Water (song)|Bridge Over Troubled Water]]" on the 1979 [[Martin Lewis (humorist)|Martin Lewis]]-produced ''20 Classic Rock Classics'' album, on which the Sinfonia gave their unique interpretations of the pop and rock repertoire of the 1950s–1970s. 

In 1976, he formed the Campiello Band, which became the [[Michael Nyman Band]], for a production of [[Carlo Goldoni]]'s ''Il Campiello''. Originally made up of old instruments such as [[rebec]]s and [[shawm]]s alongside more modern instruments like the saxophone to produce as loud a sound as possible without amplification, the band later switched to a fully amplified line-up of string quartet, three saxophones, trumpet, [[French horn|horn]], [[bass trombone]], bass guitar and piano. Many of Nyman's works are written for his ensemble, with the lineup variously altered and augmented.

One of his earliest film scores was the 1976 British sex comedy ''[[Keep It Up Downstairs]]'', followed by numerous films, many of them European art films, including eleven directed by [[Peter Greenaway]]. Nyman drew frequently on [[early music]] sources in his scores for Greenaway's films: [[Henry Purcell]] in ''[[The Draughtsman's Contract]]'' (1982) and ''[[The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover]]'' (1989) (which included [[Memorial (composition)|Memorial]] and Miserere Paraphrase), [[Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber]] in ''[[A Zed & Two Noughts]]'' (1985), [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart]] in ''[[Drowning by Numbers]]'' (1988), and [[John Dowland]] in ''[[Prospero's Books]]'' (1991), largely at the request of the director.{{sfn|Siôn|2007|p={{page needed|date=August 2024}}}} He wrote settings to various texts by Mozart for ''[[Letters, Riddles and Writs]]'', part of ''Not Mozart''. 

In 1987 Nyman composed the opera ''[[Noises, Sounds & Sweet Airs]]'', for [[soprano]], [[alto (voice)|alto]], [[tenor]] and instrumental ensemble (based on Nyman's score for the ballet ''La Princesse de Milan'');  the opera ''[[The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat (opera)|The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat]]'' (1986), based on a case-study by [[Oliver Sacks]]; and five [[string quartet]]s. He also recorded pop music with the [[Flying Lizards]]; a version of his ''Bird List'' from the soundtrack to Peter Greenaway's ''[[The Falls (1980 film)|The Falls]]'' (1980) appears on their album ''Fourth Wall'' as "Hands 2 Take".

===1990s=== 
In 1990 he composed ''Ariel Songs'' for soprano and band; in 1993 [[MGV (composition)|MGV (Musique à Grande Vitesse)]]  for band and orchestra; concertos for saxophone, piano (based on the score for ''The Piano''), violin, [[harpsichord]], trombone, and saxophone & cello recorded by [[John Harle]] and [[Julian Lloyd Webber]];

In 1991 Nyman composed ''The Michael Nyman Songbook'' based on poetry by [[Paul Celan]], [[Arthur Rimbaud]], [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart]] and [[William Shakespeare]]. His ''Six Celan Songs'' off this collection were composed for [[Ute Lemper]], with whom he recorded the album. Ute Lemper also performed in the 1992 concert film of the same name, directed by [[Volker Schlöndorff]].

In 1993, Nyman's popularity increased after he wrote the score to [[Jane Campion]]'s award-winning 1993 film ''[[The Piano]]''. The album became a classical music best-seller, selling over three million copies. His soundtrack won an [[Ivor Novello Award]], a [[Golden Globe]], a [[BAFTA]] and an [[American Film Institute]] award, and nominated for a [[British Academy Award]] and a [[Golden Globe]]. 
He produced a soundtrack for the silent film ''[[Man with a Movie Camera]]'', which largely reworked material he wrote for the soundtrack of the 1996 video game ''[[Enemy Zero]]''. 

[[File:Flickr - nicogenin - 66ème Festival de Venise (Mostra) (43).jpg|thumb|Nyman at the 2009 [[Venice Film Festival]]]]
His forays into Hollywood were ''[[Gattaca]]'' (1997), ''[[Ravenous (1999 film)|Ravenous]]'' (1999) (with musician [[Damon Albarn]]), and ''[[The End of the Affair (1999 film)|The End of the Affair]]'' (1999). ''Gattaca'' was nominated for a [[Saturn Award]] for Best Music.

In 1999, Nyman created a group called Foster's Social Orchestra, which specialised in the work of [[Stephen Foster]]. One of their pieces appeared in the film ''[[Ravenous (1999 film)|Ravenous]]'' and an additional work, not used in the film, appeared on the soundtrack album.

===21st century===
In 2000, he produced an opera on the subject of [[cloning]] on a [[libretto]] by Victoria Hardie titled ''[[Facing Goya]]'', an expansion of their one-act opera ''[[Vital Statistics (opera)|Vital Statistics]]''. The lead, a widowed art banker, is written for [[contralto]] and the role was created by Hilary Summers. His newest operas are ''[[Man and Boy: Dada]]'' (2003) and ''[[Love Counts]]'' (2005), both on libretti by [[Michael Hastings (playwright)|Michael Hastings]].

From 2002 to 2005 he was a composer-in-residence at the [[Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe]], Germany.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Michael Nyman {{!}} ECLIPSE Home Audio Systems |url=https://www.eclipse-td.com/uk/userlist/endorser/nyman/index.html |access-date=2024-02-27 |website=www.eclipse-td.com}}</ref>

He composed the music for the children's television series ''[[Titch (TV series)|Titch]]''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.michaelnyman.com/music/soundtracks/show/titch |title=Music – Soundtracks – Titch |publisher=Michael Nyman |access-date=10 August 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140517121745/http://www.michaelnyman.com/music/soundtracks/show/titch |archive-date=17 May 2014}}</ref> which is based on the books written and illustrated by [[Pat Hutchins]].

On 7 July 2007, Nyman performed at [[Live Earth]] in [[Live Earth concert, Kyoto|Japan]]. Nyman began a long-term artistic collaboration with the filmmaker [[Max Pugh]] which resulted in many short art films, three experimental feature documentaries and a number of video installations. In 2008 Nyman realised, in collaboration with the cultural association Volumina, ''Sublime'', an artist's book that unified his music with his passion for photography.

In October 2009, Nyman released ''[[The Glare]]'', a collaborative collection of songs with [[David McAlmont]]. The album – recorded with the Michael Nyman Band – finds McAlmont putting lyrics based on contemporary news stories to 11 pieces of Nyman music drawn from different phases of his career.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8426925.stm |title=The best albums you never heard in 2009 |publisher=[[BBC News]]|date=2010-01-02 |access-date=2022-05-26}}</ref> 

In 2012, he made a soundtrack for film, ''[[Everyday (film)|Everyday]]''. [[Keith H. Yoo]] in 2012 commissioned Nyman to write a 26-minute [[piano quintet]] in four [[Movement (music)|movements]] titled ''Through the Only Window''. It premiered at the gala dinner for his father [[Yoo Byung-eun]]'s photographic exhibition "Through My Window" in the [[Tuileries Garden]] of [[The Louvre]] in Paris on 25 June 2012. The work has been recorded by Nyman Quintet in the [[Abbey Road Studios]], and has been released on Nyman's record label.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.musicroom.com/se/id_no/01063210/details.html |title=Michael Nyman: Through The Only Window&nbsp;– String Quartet & Piano (Score/Parts) – String Quartet/Piano Chamber Score and Parts&nbsp;– Sheet Music & Songbooks |publisher=Musicroom.com |access-date=31 May 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.musicsales.com/Catalogue/product.aspx/en-GB/1063210/MichaelNymanThroughTheOnlyWindowStringQuartetPianoScoreParts |title=Music Sales Group&nbsp;– The Music Sales Catalogue |publisher=Musicsales.com |access-date=31 May 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ahaeproducts.com/shop-by-product-type/media/michael-nyman-through-the-only-window-cd.html |title=Michael Nyman Through The Only Window (Music CD) – by Ahae Products |publisher=Ahaeproducts.com |access-date=31 May 2014}}</ref> In 2013 Nyman was again commissioned to compose a piece for Yoo Byung-eun's exhibition in the [[Orangerie]] Hall of the [[Palace of Versailles]], and wrote the 32-minute-long symphony in four movements, Symphony No. 6{{nbsp}}"AHAE", representing the four seasons in nature as depicted by [[Ahae]], a pseudonym for [[Yoo Byung-eun]]. The [[London Symphony Orchestra]] premiered both pieces at [[L'Opéra of the Palace of Versailles]] in Paris on 8 September 2013 under the baton of the composer.<ref>{{cite news |last=Alberge |first=Dalya |url=http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/uk_news/Arts/article1277681.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140602194906/http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/uk_news/Arts/article1277681.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=2 June 2014 |title=Rich Korean recluse hires the LSO to blow his trumpet |newspaper=[[The Sunday Times]]|date=23 June 2013 |access-date=1 June 2014}}</ref> They were also recorded.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.musicsalesclassical.com/news/2798 |title=News&nbsp;– Nyman Symphony No. 6 premiere |publisher=Music Sales Classical |date=6 September 2013 |access-date=31 May 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140522160501/http://www.musicsalesclassical.com/news/2798 |archive-date=22 May 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=The Music Sales Group |url=http://www.musicsalesclassical.com/news/2798 |title=Michael Nyman Symphony No. 6 "AHAE" Premier |publisher=The Music Sales Group |access-date=22 May 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140522160501/http://www.musicsalesclassical.com/news/2798 |archive-date=22 May 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nicolasbacri.net/biographieen.html |title=Biographie En |publisher=Nicolasbacri.net |access-date=31 May 2014}}</ref> In 2015 he performed in [[Dziga Vertov]]'s ''[[Man with a Movie Camera]]'' at the [[Potemkin Stairs]]. The show was part of the 6th [[Odesa International Film Festival]] and gathered approximately 15,000 spectators.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://oiff.com.ua/en/2015/news/chelovek-s-kinoapparatom-i-maikl-naiman-na-potemkinskoi-lestnice.htm |title=''Man With a Movie Camera'' and Michael Nyman at the Potemkin Stairs |publisher=Odesa International Film Festival |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205051616/http://oiff.com.ua/en/2015/news/chelovek-s-kinoapparatom-i-maikl-naiman-na-potemkinskoi-lestnice.htm |archive-date=5 February 2016}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Nyman was married to Aet Nyman ([[née]] Toome), with whom he has two daughters, [[Molly Nyman|Molly]] and Martha, but they are now divorced.<ref name=Telegraph/> His first string quartet quotes "[[Unchained Melody]]" in homage to Aet, who appears in Greenaway's ''[[The Falls (1980 film)|The Falls]]'', for which he also composed music. Molly is also a composer and in collaboration with [[Harry Escott]] has written several film scores, including for ''[[The Road to Guantanamo]]'' by her father's frequent collaborator [[Michael Winterbottom]]. Martha is a development researcher for the [[BBC]].

In 2005, Nyman reported that he had been a supporter of [[Queens Park Rangers F.C.]] for 33 years.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Nyman |first=Michael |date=2005-10-20 |title=Composing the QPR suite |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2005/oct/21/classicalmusicandopera.newsstory |access-date=2024-02-27 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

He lives in [[North London]].<ref name=Telegraph/>

==Honours==
Nyman was appointed [[Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] (CBE) in the 2008 Birthday Honours.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=58729 |date=14 June 2008 |page=8 |supp=y}}</ref>

Nyman was awarded an honorary doctorate (DLitt) from the [[University of Warwick]] on 30 January 2007. At the degree ceremony, the University of Warwick Brass Society and Chamber Choir, conducted by [[Paul McGrath (conductor)|Paul McGrath]], premiered a specially composed procession and recession fanfare by Nyman.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/newsandevents/pressreleases/honorary_degrees_for |title=Honorary Degrees for Sir Antony Sher, Michael Nyman and Professor Sir Alec Jeffreys|publisher=[[University of Warwick]]|date= |access-date=10 August 2014}}</ref>

In 2015, he was awarded the Golden Duke for Lifetime Achievement, the special award of the 6th [[Odesa International Film Festival]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://oiff.com.ua/en/2015/award-winners-2015.htm |title=Award Winners 2015 |publisher=Odesa International Film Festival |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151122231750/http://oiff.com.ua/en/2015/award-winners-2015.htm |archive-date=22 November 2015 }}</ref>

In 2025, he received a [[World Soundtrack Award – Lifetime Achievement|Lifetime Achievement]] from the [[World Soundtrack Academy]].

==Works==
Besides his compositions Nyman is also a filmmaker, having made over 80 films, his first shot in 1968.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.michaelnyman.com/films | title=Films|website=michaelnyman.com}}</ref>
{{div col}}
* 1963 – Introduction and Allegro Concertato for Wind Quartet (lost)
* 1963 – Divertimento for Flute, Oboe and Clarinet
* 1965 – ''Canzona for Flute''
* 1974 – ''[[Decay Music|Bell Set No. 1]]'' (multiple metal percussion)
* 1976 – ''[[Keep It Up Downstairs]]'' (film music)
* 1976 – ''[[Decay Music|1–100]]'' (4–6 pianos)
* 1976 – (First) Waltz in D (variable)
* 1976 – (Second) ''[[Michael Nyman (1981 album)|Waltz in F]]'' (variable)
* 1977 – ''[[Michael Nyman (1981 album)|In Re Don Giovanni]]'' (for the Michael Nyman Band) – arranged for string quartet (1991), string quintet (1997), and orchestra (2010)
* 1977 – ''A Walk Through H'' (film music)
* 1978 – ''The Otherwise Very Beautiful Blue Danube Waltz'' (multiple pianos)
* 1978 – ''[[Vertical Features Remake]]'' (film music)
* 1979 – ''[['The Masterwork' Award Winning Fish-Knife]]'' (for the Michael Nyman Band)
* 1979 – ''Four Ostinatos'' (bass clarinet)
* 1979 – ''Masterwork Samples'' (for the Michael Nyman Band)
* 1980 – ''A Neat Slice of Time'' (choir)
* 1980 – ''A Neat Slice of Saraband'' (clarinet, trombone, piano and cello)
* 1985 – ''[[The Falls (1980 film)#Soundtrack|The Falls]]'' (film music for the Michael Nyman Band)
* 1980 – ''Act of God'' (film music)
* 1981 – ''Think Slow, Act Fast'' (for [[Hoketus]]) – reworked into soundtrack for ''[[A Sixth Part of the World]]'' in 2010
* 1981 – ''Five Orchestral Pieces for Opus Tree'' (band)<ref>Originally recorded by Nyman, [[Ned Sublette]], Susan Krongold, [[Barbara Benary]], [[Jon Gibson (minimalist musician)|Jon Gibson]], Richard Cohen, Virgil Blackwell, [[Peter Zummo]], and [[Peter Gordon (composer)|Peter Gordon]] at [[The Kitchen (art institution)|The Kitchen]], and intended for Peter Greenaway's short film, ''The Tree''.</ref> (based on [[Anton Webern]]'s Five Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 10)
* 1981 – ''[[Michael Nyman (1981 album)|M-Work]]'' (for the Michael Nyman Band)
* 1981 – ''Two Violins'' (two amplified violins)
* 1982 – ''Four Saxes (Real Slow Drag)'' (saxophone quartet)
* 1982 – ''A Handsom, Smooth, Sweet, Smart, Clear Stroke: Or Else Play Not At All'' (orchestra)
* 1982 – ''[[The Draughtsman's Contract#music|The Draughtsman's Contract]]'' (film music for the Michael Nyman Band)<ref name=“Scaruffi”>{{cite web |url= https://www.scaruffi.com/avant/nyman.html|title=Michael Nyman|publisher=scaruffi.com|accessdate=15 October 2025}}</ref>
* 1983 – ''Ballet Mécanique'' (ensemble)
* 1983 – ''Time's Up'' (Gamelan ensemble)
* 1983 – ''I'll Stake My Cremona to a Jew's Trump'' (electric violin and viola, both players also simultaneously singing)
* 1983 – ''Love is Certainly, at Least Alphabetically Speaking'' (soprano and ensemble)
* 1983 – ''[[Ballet Mécanique]]'' (film music for ensemble)
* 1983 – ''[[Nelly's Version]]'' (film music)
* 1983 – ''Frozen Music'' (for the Michael Nyman Band)
* 1984 – ''The Abbess of Andouillets'' (choir and percussion)
* 1984 – ''Bird Work'' (for the Michael Nyman Band)
* 1984 – ''[[The Cold Room#Soundtrack album|The Cold Room]]'' (film music for chamber orchestra)
* 1985 – ''[[The Kiss and Other Movements|Nose-List Song]]'' (soprano and orchestra) [this and the above three works are from an unfinished [[Tristram Shandy (opera)|opera]] setting of [[Laurence Sterne]]'s ''[[The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman]]'', which Nyman has repeatedly cited as his all-time favourite book]
* 1985 – ''[[Lucinda Childs|Childs]] Play'' (2 violins and harpsichord or ensemble)
* 1985 – ''[[String Quartets 1–3#String Quartet No. 1|String Quartet No. 1]]''
* 1985 – ''[[A Zed & Two Noughts#Soundtrack|A Zed and Two Noughts]]'' (film music for ensemble) <ref name=“Scaruffi”/>
* 1985 – ''[[Memorial (Nyman)|Memorial]]'' (orchestra)
* 1985 – ''[[And Do They Do/Zoo Caprices|Zoo Caprices]]'' (violin)<ref name=“Scaruffi”/>
* 1986 – ''Basic Black'' (ballet for orchestra, reduced for piano duet as ''[[Taking a Line for a Second Walk]]'' in 1994)
* 1986 – ''[[The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat (opera)|The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat]]'' (opera; libretto by Christopher Rawlence; [[The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat|adapted]] from the [[Oliver Sacks]] [[case study]] by Nyman, Rawlence, and Michael Morris)  <ref name=“Scaruffi”/>
* 1986 – ''[[And Do They Do/Zoo Caprices|And Do They Do]]'' (for the Michael Nyman Band)
* 1986 – ''The Disputation'' (film music)
* 1987 – ''Touch the Earth'' (two sopranos, violin, and viola)
* 1987 – ''Vital Statistics'' (opera; libretto by Victoria Hardie) – withdrawn and revised into ''[[Facing Goya]]'' in 2000
* 1988 – ''Orpheus' Daughter'' (opera; libretto by Gerrit Timmers) – withdrawn
* 1988 – ''[[String Quartets 1–3#String Quartet No. 2|String Quartet No. 2]]''
* 1988 – ''[[Drowning by Numbers#Music|Drowning by Numbers]]'' (film music for the Michael Nyman Band)  <ref name=“Scaruffi”/>
* 1989 – ''[[Out of the Ruins]]'' (choir)<ref name=“Scaruffi”/>
* 1989 – ''[[La Traversée de Paris (album)|La Traversée de Paris]]'' (for the Michael Nyman Band, soprano, and choir)
* 1989 – ''[[The Commissar Vanishes|The Fall of Icarus]]'' (for the Michael Nyman Band) – reworked into ''[[The Commissar Vanishes]]'' in 1999
* 1989 – ''[[The Michael Nyman Songbook|L'Orgie Parisienne]]'' (soprano or mezzo-soprano and ensemble) – originally part of La Traversée de Paris<ref name=“Scaruffi”/>
* 1989 – ''[[La Sept (album)|La Sept]]'' (for the Michael Nyman Band)
* 1989 – ''Death in the Seine'' (film music)
* 1989 – ''[[The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (soundtrack)|The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover]]'' (film music for the Michael Nyman Band)<ref name=“Scaruffi”/>
* 1990 – ''Shaping the Curve'' (soprano saxophone, string quartet or piano)
* 1990 – ''[[The Michael Nyman Songbook|Six Celan Songs]]'' (contralto and orchestra)
* 1990 – Polish Love Song (soprano and piano or two clarinets, viola, cello and bass)
* 1990 – [[String Quartets 1–3#String Quartet No. 3|String Quartet No. 3]]
* 1990 – ''Men of Steel'' (TV episode music)
* 1991 – ''Where the Bee Dances'' (soprano saxophone and orchestra)
* 1991 – ''Fluegelhorn and Piano''
* 1991 – ''[[Prospero's Books#Soundtrack|Prospero's Books]]'' (film music for the Michael Nyman Band), ''Concert Suite'' for chamber orchestra arranged in 1994<ref name=“Scaruffi”/>
* 1991 – ''Letters, Riddles and Writs'' (3 voices and the Michael Nyman Band)
* 1991 – ''Masque Arias'' (brass quintet)
* 1991 – ''The Final Score'' (film music for the Michael Nyman Band)
* 1991 – ''[[The Michael Nyman Songbook|I am an Unusual Thing]]'' (contralto and the Michael Nyman Band or piano)
* 1992 – ''[[Time Will Pronounce#Time will pronounce|Time Will Pronounce]]'' (violin, cello, and piano)
* 1992 – ''[[Time Will Pronounce#For John Cage|For John Cage]]'' (brass ensemble)
* 1992 – ''[[Time Will Pronounce#Self-laudatory hymn of Inanna and her omnipotence|Self-Laudatory Hymn of Inanna and Her Omnipotence]]'' (alto and string orchestra or countertenor and viol consort)
* 1992 – ''[[Time Will Pronounce#The convertibility of lute strings|The Convertibility of Lute Strings]]'' (solo harpsichord)
* 1992 – ''Anne de Lucy Songs'' (soprano and piano)
* 1992 – ''[[The Hairdresser's Husband|Le Mari de la Coiffeuse]]'' (film music)
* 1992 – ''The Upside-Down Violin'' (orchestra/ensemble)
* 1992 – ''Mozart on Mortality'' (soprano and 6 players)
* 1992 – ''[[The Piano (soundtrack)|The Piano]]'' (film music for orchestra), arranged for concert suites in 2003 and 2005<ref name=“Scaruffi”/>
* 1992 – ''[[The Michael Nyman Songbook|Ariel Songs]]'' (soprano and piano, also for voice and string quartet, or saxophone and piano)
* 1993 – ''[[MGV (composition)|MGV: Musique à grande vitesse]]'' (band and orchestra)
* 1993 – ''[[The Piano Concerto/MGV#The Piano Concerto|The Piano Concerto]]'' (piano and orchestra)
* 1993 – ''[[Noises, Sounds & Sweet Airs]]'' (1993; opera-ballet setting [[William Shakespeare]]'s ''[[The Tempest]]'')
* 1993 – ''[[Michael Nyman for Yohji Yamamoto|Yamamoto Perpetuo]]'' (violin solo)
* 1993 – ''Songs for Tony'' (saxophone quartet)
* 1993 – ''On the Fiddle'' (violin or cello, and piano or strings)
* 1994 – ''To Morrow'' (soprano or soprano saxophone, organ)
* 1994 – ''[[The Suit and the Photograph#3 Quartets|3 Quartets]]'' (ensemble)
* 1994 – ''[[Concertos (album)|Concerto for Trombone]]'' (trombone, orchestra, and steel filing cabinets)<!--filing cabinets are part of "percussion" section-->
* 1994 – ''[[À la folie#Music|A La Folie]]'' (film music for the Michael Nyman Band)<ref name=“Scaruffi”/>
* 1994 – ''[[Carrington (film)#music|Carrington]]'' (for the Michael Nyman Band)<ref name=“Scaruffi”/>
* 1994 – ''[[The Suit and the Photograph#3 Quartets|Three Quartets]]'' (for the Michael Nyman Band)
* 1995 – ''[[The Suit and the Photograph#String Quartet No. 4|String Quartet No. 4]]''
* 1995 – ''Tango for Tim (In memoriam Tim Suster)'' (harpsichord)
* 1995 – ''The Waltz Song'' (unison voices)
* 1995 – ''Viola and Piano''
* 1995 – ''Grounded'' (mezzo-soprano, saxophones, violin, piano)
* 1995 – ''HRT [High Rise Terminal]'' (chamber ensemble)
* 1995 – ''[[Concertos (album)|Concerto for Harpsichord and Strings]]''
* 1995 – ''[[Concertos (album)|Double Concerto for Saxophone and Cello]]'' (saxophone, cello, and orchestra)
* 1995 – ''[[Anne no Nikki#Soundtrack|The Diary of Anne Frank]]'' (film music for the Michael Nyman Band, also orchestral suite)<ref name=“Scaruffi”/>
* 1996 – ''[[After Extra Time (album)|After Extra Time]]'' (ensemble)
* 1996 – ''[[Enemy Zero#Music|Enemy Zero]]'' (game music for soprano and orchestra)
* 1996 – ''[[The Ogre (1996 film)#Music|The Ogre]]'' (film music for the Michael Nyman Band)<ref name=“Scaruffi”/>
* 1996 – ''Elisabeth Gets Her Way'' (harpsichord)
* 1996 – ''Knights at School'' (brass ensemble)
* 1997 – ''[[Enemy Zero#Music|Enemy Zero – Original Soundtrack]]''
* 1997 – ''[[Strong on Oaks, Strong on the Causes of Oaks]]'' (orchestra)
* 1997 – ''[[Gattaca]]'', orchestral suite in 2001/2003<ref name=“Scaruffi”/>
* 1997 – ''[[Titch (TV series)|Titch]]'' (worked on the main opening/closing piano theme).
* 1998 – ''Cycle of Disquietude (Coisas, Vozes, Lettras)'' (soprano, mezzo-soprano, and band)
* 1998 – ''Orfeu'' (band)
* 1998 – ''De Granada A La Luna'' (band)
* 1999 – ''[[The End of the Affair (1999 film)#Music|The End of the Affair]]'' (film music, also orchestral suite)<ref name=“Scaruffi”/>
* 1999 – ''[[Wonderland (soundtrack)|Wonderland]]'' (film music for the Michael Nyman Band)<ref name=“Scaruffi”/>
* 1999 – ''Balancing the Books'' (choir)
* 1999 – ''Strange Attractors'' (piano quintet) -->
* 2000 – ''[[Facing Goya]]'' (opera; libretto by Victoria Hardie)
* 2000 – ''[[Act Without Words I|Act Without Words]]'' (film music)
* 2000 – ''[[The Claim (2000 film)#Soundtrack|The Claim]]'' (film music for the Michael Nyman Band)<ref name=“Scaruffi”/>
* 2001 – ''a dance he little thinks of'' (orchestra)
* 2001 – ''Fourths, Mostly'' (organ)
* 2001 – ''Free for All'' (brass ensemble)
* 2001 – ''Mosè'' (choir and string quartet)
* 2001 – ''[[Six Celan Songs; The Ballad of Kastriot Rexhepi|Ballad of Kastriot Rexhepi]]'' (soprano and string quartet or string orchestra)
* 2002 – ''[[24 Hours in the Life of a Woman (2002 film)#Soundtrack|24 heures de la vie d'une femme]]'' (film music for orchestra)<ref name=“Scaruffi”/>
* 2002 – ''Beckham Crosses, Nyman Scores'' (string quartet and tape), derive ''[[Acts of Beauty/Exit no Exit|Exit, No Exit]]'' for bass clarinet and string quartet in 2005
* 2002 – ''Dance of the Engines'' (orchestra)
* 2002 – ''Mapping'' (video art music for string quartet)
* 2002 – ''[[Sangam: Michael Nyman Meets Indian Masters|Sangam: The Meeting Point]]'' (mandolin and the Michael Nyman Band)
* 2002 – ''[[The Actors#Soundtrack|The Actors]]'' (film music for the Michael Nyman Band)<ref name=“Scaruffi”/>
* 2002 – ''Yellow Beach'' (piano trio)
* 2002 – ''Zeit und Ziel 1814–2002'' (for the Michael Nyman Band)
* 2003 – Violin Concerto (violin and orchestra)
* 2003 – ''[[Man and Boy: Dada]]'' (opera; libretto by [[Michael Hastings (playwright)|Michael Hastings]])
* 2003 – ''A Child's View of Colour '' (choir and strings)
* 2003 – ''Manhatta'' (for the Michael Nyman Band or bass clarinet or soprano and bass clarinet)
* 2004 – ''24 Hour Sax Quartet''
* 2004 - ''[[9 Songs]]'' (songs; Nadia and Debbie)
* 2004 – ''Flicker'' (electronic guitar and electronics)
* 2004 – ''[[The Libertine (album)|The Libertine]]'' (film music for orchestra)
* 2004 – ''Photography of Chance'' (piano trio)
* 2005 – ''[[Love Counts]]'' (opera; libretto by Michael Hastings)
* 2005 – ''Melody Waves'' (Chinese orchestra)
* 2005 – ''Revisiting the Don'' (Chinese flute and the Michael Nyman Band)
* 2006 – ''gdm for Marimba and Orchestra'' (concerto)
* 2006 – ''[[Acts of Beauty/Exit no Exit|Acts of Beauty]]'' (song cycle for soprano and 6 players)
* 2006 – ''For Kiyan Prince'' (choir)
* 2006 – ''I was a Total Virgin'' (orchestra)
* 2006 – ''That's the Lover'' (voice and 5 players)
* 2007 – ''[[A Handshake in the Dark]]'' (choral piece with orchestra; text by [[Jamal Jumá]] [world premiere 8 March 2007, Barbican, London, performed by the BBC Symphony Chorus and Orchestra, John Storgards conducting])
* 2007 – ''Interlude in C'' (expansion of a theme from ''[[The Libertine (Nyman)|The Libertine]]'' for Accent07 touring ensemble)
* 2007 – ''Warwick Fanfare (Parts 1 & 2)'' (procession and recession fanfares used for graduation ceremonies at the [[University of Warwick]])
* 2007 – ''50,000 pairs of feet can't be wrong.'' (for the Michael Nyman Band)
* 2007 – ''A New Pavan For These Sad, Distracted Times'' (cello concerto)
* 2007 – ''[[8 Lust Songs: I Sonetti Lussuriosi|I Sonetti Lussuriosi]]'' (soprano and ensemble or orchestra)
* 2007 – Piano Concerto No. 2
* 2007 – Violin Concerto No. 2
* 2007 – ''Taking it as Read'' (violin and piano)
* 2008 – ''Yamamoto Perpetuo for Solo Flute'' (arranged by Andy Findon)
* 2008 – ''Something Connected with Energy'' (ensemble) – reworked into soundtrack for ''The Eleventh Year'' in 2010
* 2008 – ''For Ennio'' (cello and strings)
* 2009 – ''Sparkie: Cage and Beyond'' (opera with [[Carsten Nicolai]])
* 2009 – ''The Musicologist Scores'' (for the Michael Nyman Band)
* 2009 – ''Banjo & Matilda'' (for the Michael Nyman Band)
* 2009 – ''Kino'' (3 accordions and the Michael Nyman Band)
* 2009 – ''Ombra mai fu'' (countertenor and orchestra)
* 2009 – ''Secrets, Accusations and Charges'' (for the Michael Nyman Band)
* 2009 – ''Underneath the Hessian Bags'' (for the Michael Nyman Band)
* 2010 – ''[[2Graves]]''
* 2010 – ''Body Parts Songs'' (song cycle)
* 2010 – Concerto for Flute and Strings
* 2010 – ''Milton Songs'' (voice and the Michael Nyman Band)
* 2010 – ''Poczatek'' (piano trio)fPolish Love Son
* 2011 – ''Prologue to Dido and Aeneas by Henry Purcell'' (opera, libretto by Vera Pavlova)
* 2011 – ''[[Battleship Potemkin#Soundtracks|Battleship Potemkin]]'' (film music for the Michael Nyman Band)
* 2011 – ''Doing the Rounds'' (orchestra and choir)
* 2011 – ''On Languard Point'' (soprano and the Michael Nyman Band)
* 2011 – ''Let's not make a song and dance out of it'' (String Quartet No. 5)
* 2012 – ''Through the Only Window'' (piano quintet)
* 2012 – ''Devoción'' (orchestra)
* 2013 – Trumpet & String Quartet
* 2013 – ''Goldberg Shuffle'' (piano)
* 2013 – Symphony No. 2
* 2013 – Symphony No. 5
* 2013 – Symphony No. 6
* 2013 – ''Water Dances'' (Symphony No. 8)
* 2014 – ''Symphony of sexual songs'' (Symphony No. 3)
* 2014 – ''War Work: Eight Songs with Film'' (song cycle commissioned to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the [[First World War]])
* 2014 – ''Hillsborough Memorial'' (Symphony No. 11)
* 2014 – Symphony No. 12
* 2014 – ''Two Sonnets for Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz'' (choir or voice)
* 2015 – ''Chromattic'' (saxophone, accordion, marimba and double bass)
* 2015 – ''Empresa Cines Merida'' (piano quintet)
* 2015 – Symphony No. 4
* 2016 – ''As You Watch The Athletes Score'' (for the Michael Nyman Band)
* 2016 – ''No Time In Eternity'' (countertenor and viol consort)
* 2019 – Flute Concerto No. 2 (flute and strings)
* 2019 – ''Neat Slice of Tango'' (piano)
* 2019 – ''When Ingrid Met Capa'' (string quartet)
{{div col end}}

==Collaborations==
In addition to his composing and filmmaking activities, Nyman has a full international touring schedule with the Michael Nyman Band as well as a series of unique one-off performances with a variety of collaborators. They include musicians from outside the western/classical/experimental traditions such as the Orquesta Andalusí de Tetuan, [[Rajan and Sajan Mishra|Rajan and Sajan Misra]], [[U. Srinivas|U. Shrinivas]], [[Estrella Morente]], [[Seijin Noborikawa|Seijin Noborakawa]], [[Ute Lemper]], [[Evan Parker]], [[Peter Brötzmann|Peter Brotzmann]], [[Paolo Fresu]], Mike Giles, [[The Flying Lizards]], [[Dagmar Krause]], [[Sting (musician)|Sting]], [[Damon Albarn]], [[David McAlmont]] and [[Alva Noto]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Home|url=http://www.michaelnyman.com/|access-date=13 May 2018|website=Michael Nyman|language=en-US}}</ref>

==Select discography==
===Studio albums===
{{div col}}
* ''[[Decay Music]]'' (Obscure, 1976)
* ''[[Michael Nyman (1981 album)|Michael Nyman]]'' (Piano, 1981)
* ''[[The Draughtsman's Contract#Music|The Draughtsman's Contract]]'' (Charisma, 1982)
* ''[[The Kiss and Other Movements]]'' (Editions EG, 1985)
* ''[[A Zed & Two Noughts#Soundtrack|A Zed & Two Noughts]]'' (That's Entertainment, 1985)
* ''[[The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat (opera)#Recording|The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat]]'' (CBS, 1987)
* ''[[Drowning by Numbers#Music|Drowning by Numbers]]'' (Venture, 1988)
* ''[[La Traversée de Paris (album)|La Traversée de Paris]]'' (Criterion, 1989)
* ''[[The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (soundtrack)|The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover]]'' (Venture, 1989)
* ''[[String Quartets 1–3]]'' (Argo, 1991)
* ''[[Prospero's Books#Soundtrack|Prospero's Books]]'' (Decca, 1991)
* ''[[The Michael Nyman Songbook]]'' (Decca, 1992)
* ''[[Time Will Pronounce]]'' (Argo, 1993)
* ''[[The Piano (soundtrack)|The Piano]]'' (Venture, 1993)
* ''[[The Piano Concerto/MGV]]'' (Argo, 1994)
* ''[[Noises, Sounds & Sweet Airs#Album|Noises, Sounds & Sweet Airs]]'' (Argo, 1995)
* ''[[After Extra Time (album)|After Extra Time]]'' (Venture, 1996)
* ''[[Concertos (album)|Concertos]]'' (EMI, 1997)
* ''[[The Suit and the Photograph]]'' (EMI, 1998)
* ''[[Wonderland (soundtrack)|Wonderland]]'' (Virgin Venture, 1999)
* ''[[Facing Goya#Recording|Facing Goya]]'' (Warner, 2002)
* ''[[Sangam: Michael Nyman Meets Indian Masters]]'' (Warner, 2003)
* ''[[Man and Boy: Dada#Recording|Man and Boy: Dada]]'' (MN, 2005)
* ''[[Acts of Beauty/Exit no Exit]]'' (MN, 2006)
* ''[[Love Counts#Recording|Love Counts]]'' (MN, 2007)
* ''[[8 Lust Songs: I Sonetti Lussuriosi]]'' (MN, 2008)
{{div col end}}

==See also==
* [[List of ambient music artists]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.michaelnyman.com/ Michael Nyman official site]
* [http://www.chesternovello.com/Default.aspx?TabId=2431&State_2905=2&composerId_2905=1149 Michael Nyman's homepage at Chester Music]
* {{IMDb name|name=Michael Nyman|id=0006219}}
* {{Screenonline name|id=493569|name=Michael Nyman}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060726214550/http://www.topologymusic.com/comment.php?comment.news.17 The Power of the Cadence: Michael Nyman in conversation with Robert Davidson]
* [http://www.radical-musicology.org.uk/2006/Cenciarelli.htm "The Case Against Nyman Revisited" Recent article on Michael Nyman's use of pre-existing music]
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20111001065517/http://www.oxonianreview.org/wp/michael-nyman-a-grande-vitesse/ ''Michael Nyman à grande vitesse'', review article in ''The Oxonian Review'']}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100429020445/http://www.bafta.org/access-all-areas/videos/an-evening-with-michael-nyman,1082,BA.html An Evening with Michael Nyman], [[BAFTA]] event video

===Listening===
* [https://archive.org/search.php?query=michael%20nyman Michael Nyman audio at Internet Archive]

{{Michael Nyman}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Michael Nyman
|list =
{{AACTAAward BestMusicScore 1980–1999}}
{{Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Original Score}}
{{WSA – Lifetime Achievement}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nyman, Michael}}
[[Category:Michael Nyman| ]]
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[[Category:20th-century English musicians]]
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[[Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire]]
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[[Category:Composers for saxophone]]
[[Category:Best Original Music Score AACTA Award winners]]