Ivan Hewett is a British music critic and author who specializes in classical music. Since 2009 he has been the chief music critic for British newspaper The Daily Telegraph. Hewett has a particular interest in contemporary classical music, which was the topic of his 2003 book Music: Healing the Rift. He is also active as a radio and television presenter.

Life and career[edit]

Ivan Hewett studied music at the University of Oxford, receiving a Master of Arts.^[1] He then attended the Royal College of Music to study music composition, and wrote music for television commercials for a year.^[2] Throughout the 1980s and in to the 1990s, Hewett unsuccessfully attempted to start a music festival, did research for the Man and Music program, on Granada TV, and assisted with Jonathan Miller's TV performance of Bach's St Matthew Passion.^[2] He has contributed to music publications such as The Musical Times and Prospect since the 1980s.^[2] At various times, Hewett has also worked as a lecturer, broadcaster and composer.^[3]

By the 1990s, Hewett began presenting on music for the BBC Radio 3; from 1993 to 2002 he led the weekly program "Music Matters".^[2][3] Since 2009, he has been chief music critic for British newspaper The Daily Telegraph, having succeeded Geoffrey Norris.^[1][3] His interests include the composition, reception and harmony of contemporary classical music.^[1] His interests in modern music culminated in a 2003 book entitled Music: Healing the Rift,^[1][4] described as a "very personal view" on the topic.^[2] Other publications by Hewett include a chapter for The Proms: A New History (2006) book on The Proms,^[4] and The Other Classical Musics: Fifteen Great Traditions (2015) on art music around the world.^[1][5]

Since the late 1990s, Hewett has been a professor at the Royal College of Music.^[2]

Selected writings[edit]

Books and chapters[edit]

• Hewett, Ivan (2003). Music: Healing the Rift. London: Continuum. ISBN 978-0-8264-5939-8.
• —— (2006). "Joining the Queue: Audiences for the Proms". In Doctor, Jennifer Ruth; Wright, David C. H. (eds.). The Proms: A New History. London: Thames & Hudson. pp. 210–231. ISBN 978-0-500-51352-1.
• —— (2015). "Europe". In Church, Michael (ed.). The Other Classical Musics: Fifteen Great Traditions. Woodbridge: Boydell Press. ISBN 978-1-84383-726-8.

Articles[edit]

• Hewett, Ivan (15 October 2015). "Krzysztof Penderecki and London Philharmonic Orchestra, review: 'flawed'". The Daily Telegraph. (subscription required)
• —— (17 January 2022). "Encore! What it's like to take part in a 24-hour, non-stop classical concert". The Daily Telegraph. (subscription required)
• —— (18 April 2022). "Sir Harrison Birtwistle obituary". The Guardian.

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Articles by Ivan Hewett on The Daily Telegraph (subscription required)
• Articles by Ivan Hewett on The Guardian
• Ivan Hewett on the Muck Rack journalist listing site