Richard Sisson

Richard Sisson is a composer, arranger and pianist. He is Composer in Association with Symphonia Academica.

Alongside a wide-ranging catalogue of some 50 concert works, Richard's theatre compositions include scores for The Magistrate (National Theatre), Restoration (Salisbury Playhouse), The History Boys (National Theatre, West End and Broadway), Cressida (Almeida), The Lady in the Van (West End) and Goodnight Children Everywhere (RSC). Recent work includes Pied Beauty, an anthem for the choir of Merton College Oxford in celebration of their 750th anniversary and a setting of words from Macbeth for a new volume of part songs honouring the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death.

Richard is currently working on a performance version of three short stories by Katherine Mansfield, a vernacular setting of the Eucharist and a song cycle with words by John Hegley.

Recent musical adventures have included a performance in the 2015 Proms season, with singers Sian Phillips, Jamie Parker, Kitty Whately and saxophonist Anthony Brown, in a concert honouring the 85th birthday of Stephen Sondheim. In 2016 Richard curated the music for the celebrations of the historic 800th anniversary of the sealing of Magna Carta and was honoured to provide the live commentary for the event in the presence of Her Majesty the Queen. He has appeared in concert programmes with Martin Jarvis, Ros Ayres and Alan Titchmarsh and with cabaret artistes Janie Dee, Rebecca Bottone and Susan Bullock, this last being an evening in tribute to the American Songbook.

Richard has continued to broadcast regularly on BBC Radio 3, recently presenting and performing a live recital with the BBC Singers from Stratford-upon-Avon as part of the Shakespeare Anniversary.