Biography
Wilfred Josephs (24 July 1927 – 17 November 1997) was an English composer. Born in Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, he trained as a dentist, qualifying at the University of Durham in 1951, while studying music part-time. He later attended the Guildhall School of Music in London and studied with Max Deutsch in Paris on a Leverhulme Scholarship.
In 1963 his Requiem won the first International Composing Competition of the City of Milan and La Scala, after which he became a full-time composer. He wrote twelve symphonies, twenty-two concertos, operas including Rebecca (1983), and other concert works, many to commission. He also scored numerous films and television productions.
Josephs is known for his television scores, including incidental music for The Prisoner (1967) and the music for I, Claudius (1976). Other credits include The Great War (1964), Cider with Rosie (1971) and Pride and Prejudice (1980). He received an honorary doctorate from Newcastle University in 1978.
