Sir William Walton (1902-1983) was an English composer celebrated mainly for his orchestral works. Along with Elgar, Vaughan-Williams, and Britten, he holds an important place in twentieth century English classical music. At an early age, he was sent to be a chorister at the Christ Church at the University of Oxford. He went on to study composition at the university, though he never graduated. While at Oxford, he befriended the Sitwell siblings, who provided him a place to live and exposed him to numerous performances, composers, and experiences that had a profound impact on his compositional style. Walton’s first important work, Façade, was born out of a collaboration with Edith Sitwell.

Walton rose to prominence in the late 1920s with the premiere of his Viola Concerto, which demonstrated skilled orchestral writing with a broad range of modern influences. Soon after, he premiered another popular work, the choral cantata Belshazzar's Feast. These achievements allowed him to gain more independence and distance himself from the Sitwell family. In 1935, he premiered his monumental First Symphony, which became known as one of his greatest works. He also received the honor of being commissioned to write the march for King George VI’s coronation in 1937.

In the 1930s and 40s, Walton continued to gain financial success from composing film scores, including those for propaganda films during World War II. However, after the war, though Walton wrote a number of other works for orchestra, choir, opera, and film, his output slowed and his music, once considered modernist, was often critiqued for its romantic and old-fashioned nature. Nonetheless, the composer received numerous awards and honors, including knighthood in 1951 and the Order of Merit in 1967. In 1983, Walton passed away. By the end of the twentieth century, many of his orchestral works had been rediscovered and are now frequently programmed today.