Joby Talbot

Joby Talbot was born in London in 1971. He studied composition privately with Brian Elias and at Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, before completing his master’s degree in music (composition) at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama under Simon Bainbridge.

Talbot and Christopher Wheeldon began their creative collaboration in 2007 with the production of Fool’s Paradise. Oscar, commissioned by The Australian Ballet, is Talbot’s fourth full-length narrative ballet created with Wheeldon: their past narrative works include Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, The Winter’s Tale, and Like Water for Chocolate. Talbot’s diverse catalogue includes works for contemporary dance, small- and large-scale choral and vocal works, orchestral pieces, and concertos. His considerable experience writing for the screen includes the 2023 feature film Wonka, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Sing, Sing 2, and The League of Gentlemen. Additionally, he re-scored the silent films The Dying Swan, The Lodger, and Vampyr. Following the success of Talbot and Gene Scheer’s debut opera, Everest, the Dallas Opera premiered Talbot’s second opera, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, in 2023.