Richard Stoker, English composer, author, and poet
Richard Stoker (8 November 1938 – 24 March 2021) was a British composer, writer, actor and artist.
There was a strong musical tradition in Stoker's family, and he showed an early aptitude, intrigued by the piano keyboard as soon as he was tall enough to reach it. He started playing the piano at the age of six, started to compose at the age of seven, and went to an uncle for piano lessons. At 15 he went to Huddersfield Technical College, studying with Harold Truscott and Winifred Smith.
After initial encouragement from Eric Fenby, Arthur Benjamin and Benjamin Britten, he entered the Royal Academy of Music in 1958 and studied under Lennox Berkeley. He won several prizes at the RAM, culminating in the Mendelssohn Scholarship in 1962, which took him to Paris to study with Nadia Boulanger. Returning to London in 1963 he was invited to teach at the RAM, and was a Professor of Composition there for over 20 years. He later became Hon Treasurer and a Founder member of the Royal Academy of Music Guild. He was a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music (FRAM), and also an Associate of the Royal College of Music (ARCM).
Stoker declared the piano to be his favourite instrument, with the guitar a close second: he produced a number of pieces for both instruments. Among his other works are operas, a piano concerto, three string quartets, three piano trios, song cycles, choral works, orchestral works and organ music. His style was modern but accessible, full of his optimistic, joie de vivre personality.
He edited Composer magazine between 1969 and 1980, and wrote entries on eight musicians for the Oxford DNB: Sir Thomas Armstrong, Arthur Benjamin, Alan Bush, Janet Craxton, Eric Fenby, Anthony Milner, Robert Simpson and Harold Truscott. He published poetry and prose fiction, and an autobiography, Open Window - Open Door (1985).In later years he enjoyed acting in films and TV - he appeared in over 100 productions, including Pirates of the Caribbean, Dark Shadows, Maleficent, Hercules (as body double for John Hurt), Last Christmas and MotherFatherSon.
Sometimes referred to as a Renaissance Man, he was also a writer of fiction: two novels, short stories and poetry, and three plays (unpublished); as an artist he exhibited some of his drawings and paintings.
He was a member of the Garrick Club for several years.