An Interview with Michael Finnissy

Michael Finnissy (born in London on 17 March 1946) is one of our foremost living composers of art music. He is also gay, but his sexual orientation is just one aspect of his character, and he resists being reduced to the label 'gay composer'. This long-form interview explores his life, works, and career, examining aspects of his 'queer' identity, the impact that this may have had on his career, his queer artistic influences, and questions of legacy. The interview was principally conducted on 21 May 2024 in central London and on 7 December 2024 at Michael's home in Sheringham, Norfolk, with further clarificatory emails and telephone calls between those dates and after, up until November 2025.