Gustav Holst Biography

Gustav Holst (Gustavus Theodor von Holst) (September 21, 1874 – May 25, 1934) was an English composer and was a music teacher for over 20 years. Holst is most famous for his orchestral suite The Planets. Having studied at the Royal College of Music in London, his early work was influenced by Ravel, Grieg, Richard Strauss, and Ralph Vaughan Williams, but most of his music is highly original, with influences from Hindu spiritualism and English folk tunes. Holst's music is well known for unconventional use of metre and haunting melodies.

Gustav Holst wrote almost 200 catalogued compositions, including orchestral suites, operas, ballets, concertos, choral hymns, and songs. (See: selected works, below).

Holst became music master at St Paul's Girls' School in 1905 and also director of music at Morley College in 1907, continuing in both posts until retirement (as detailed below).

Holst died on May 25, 1934, after stomach surgery, at age 59. He was the father of the composer and conductor Imogen Holst, who wrote a biography of her father, Gustav Holst, in 1938.

The following are some of the compositions by Gustav Holst: