Harrison Birtwistle is one of the leading European figures in contemporary music. His works combine modernist aesthetics with mythic power and emotional impact. His inspirations include contemporary art and the rituals of classical mythology and pre-history. His orchestral works of recent decades include Panic (composed for the Last Night of the 1995 BBC Proms), The Shadow of Night (commissioned by the Cleveland Orchestra) and Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (written for the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Christian Tetzlaff). His operatic compositions and stage works since 2000 include The Last Supper (Glyndebourne Festival and Berlin State Opera), The Minotaur (Royal Opera, to be revived in 2013), The Io Passion (Aldeburgh Festival and Almeida Opera) and The Corridor (Aldeburgh Festival and tour).