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Dudley Simpson, 1922-2017
Composer and conductor Dudley Simpson died in Sydney, Australia, on November 4, 2017, at the age of 95.
One of the most prolific composers in the history of British television, Simpson was best known for his extraordinary contribution to Doctor Who, writing incidental music for more than 60 stories and almost 300 episodes between 1964 and 1980. He also composed memorable themes and scores for The Brothers, The Tomorrow People, Blake’s 7 and numerous prestigious BBC drama productions.
Dudley George Simpson was born in Melbourne, Australia, on October 4, 1922. A gifted pianist from childhood, he won an interstate radio competition at 13 and subsequently became the station’s official accompanist. During World War II he served as a warrant officer with the Australian Army in New Guinea, where his hand was injured when a truck he was driving was struck during a Japanese bombing raid. Playing the piano became an important part of his recuperation.
After the war Simpson studied orchestration and composition at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music and joined the Borovansky Ballet, initially as pianist and assistant conductor. He eventually became the company’s musical director in 1957. Two years later he travelled to Britain as a guest conductor at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, subsequently becoming principal conductor of its orchestra from 1960 to 1963. His work included touring with the Royal Ballet and conducting performances featuring Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev. Read more…
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