About Peter Maxwell Davies

Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, CBE (b. 8 September 1934), is a British composer and conductor. His surname is "Davies", and "Maxwell" is his middle name. To his friends, Davies is known as "Max". Davies was born in Salford, England. He took piano lessons and composed from an early age. After education at Leigh Grammar School, he studied at the University of Manchester and at the Royal Manchester College of Music (amalgamated into the Royal Northern College of Music in 1973), where his fellow students included Harrison Birtwistle, Alexander Goehr, Elgar Howarth and John Ogdon.