Joseph Holbrooke

Joseph Holbrooke (1878–1958) was a wildly inventive British composer whose music bridged late Romantic grandeur and early 20th-century experimentation. Nicknamed "The Cockney Wagner" for his ambitious orchestral works (and his London roots), he churned out symphonic poems, operas, and chamber music with a flair for drama and storytelling. Fans of lush, narrative-driven classical music might recognize his "The Grasshopper" Violin Concerto or his Poe-inspired tone poems like *The Raven*. Though he was prolific in his lifetime, his music fell into obscurity before recent revivals—thanks to albums like *Symphonic Poems Vol. 3* and *Clarinet Chamber Music*—brought his bold, quirky style back into the spotlight.

Fun fact: His name lives on in an avant-garde twist! The experimental 1960s improv trio **Joseph Holbrooke** (featuring Derek Bailey and Tony Oxley) cheekily borrowed his moniker as an homage. Today, Holbrooke’s rediscovered piano works (*Vestiges*, *Late Piano Music*) and lavish orchestral pieces remind us why he was both celebrated and underrated—a composer unafraid to swing between whimsy and Wagnerian heft.

Genres

Experimental

Avant-garde

Classical

Contemporary Classical

Chamber Music

Opera

Orchestral Music

Romantic Music

Related Artists

Edward Elgar

Ralph Vaughan Williams

Frank Bridge

Percy Grainger

John Ireland

Erik Satie

Cyril Scott

Glenn Gould

Philip Glass

Keith Jarrett

Gustav Holst

York Bowen

Latest Release

Last Live 2001—In Memoriam Derek Bailey And Tony Oxley

Joseph Holbrooke

Ep - 4 Tracks - Released August 15, 2025