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Stewart Copeland

Stewart Copeland
Photo: Music Academy of the West

Stewart Copeland

guest composer

Biography

Stewart Copeland has been a pioneering force in contemporary music for over four decades, seamlessly blending rock, classical, opera, and world music. A seven-time Grammy winner, he is best known as the founder of The Police, whose innovative sound defined a generation of rock in the 1980s.

Beyond rock, Copeland’s classical works include Tyrant’s Crush (Pittsburgh Symphony), Poltroons in Paradise (Royal Liverpool Philharmonic), and Gamelan D'Drum (Dallas Symphony). His operatic achievements feature adaptations of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Cask of Amontillado and The Tell-Tale Heart, and The Witches Seed, which premiered in Italy in 2022 and returned for three new productions in 2024.

In 2025, Copeland launches Wild Concerto in collaboration with Martyn Stewart and Platoon (Apple Inc.), premiering on Earth Day at King’s Place, London. He will also debut a percussion commission with The Juilliard School in New York and at the Aspen Festival.

A renowned composer for film and television, his scores include Rumble Fish (Golden Globe-nominated), Wall Street, Four Days in September (Oscar-nominated), and contributions to The Equalizer, Babylon 5, Desperate Housewives, and the video game Spyro the Dragon.

Copeland has presented acclaimed BBC documentaries and the podcast My Dad The Spy. His accolades include induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a knighthood from France’s Order of Arts and Letters, and the 2024 Meadows Award for Artistry of International Renown.

Resources

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