Simon Dobson, born in 1981 in Birmingham, England, is a composer particularly noted for his brass band compositions. He grew up in a brass banding family and was educated at Launceston College before moving to London at age 18 to study composition at the Royal College of Music under Timothy Salter, Theo Verby, and George Benjamin. While at the RCM, he received his first commission from the London Philharmonic Orchestra in 2002 and won the European Brass Band Composers' Competition the same year. Dobson has written works for youth and championship brass bands, including Penlee, inspired by the Penlee lifeboat disaster, which was voted number 106 in the Classic FM Hall of Fame in 2011 and has been used worldwide as a test piece. He has served as Composer in Residence with the Leyland Band, the Brighouse and Rastrick Band, and the Fairey Band, and has composed music spanning drum ’n’ bass, jazz, film scores, and brass ensembles. Dobson won the British Composer Of the Year Award for A Symphony of Colours in 2012 and released his solo album Euneirophrenia in 2014.
