"I think the key to his music lies in his moral point of view, combined with his craving for lost innocence brought on by his increasing disillusionment with man" Peter Pears

Who was he?
One of the most important composers of the 20 century and a major force in the shaping of English Opera. He was also a gay man and composed much of his music, including `Peter Grimes`, for his lover and muse(?), the singer Peter Pears.
What did he write?
Work includes Peter Grimes (1945), Billy Budd (1951), The Turn of the Screw (1954), Death in Venice (1973), War Requiem and `Young Person`s Guide to the Orchestra`.
When was he born?
Born in Lowestoft, England on the 22 November 1913.
Personal Life
In 1933 during a rehearsal for a broadcast of his choral work, `A Boy was Born`, he met the tenor Peter Pears, and the beginning of a lifelong personal and professional relationship began.
Was he publicly `out`?
Friends and scholars associated with Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears kept quiet about the couple`s sexuality and about their relationship. It was only in the early 1990s, more than fifteen years after Benjamin Britten`s death, that more honest discussions began in public. Then analyses of Benjamin Britten`s work began to treat his homosexuality as a relevant factor. His operas particularly embody the crucial characteristics of an outsider. His opera `Death in Venice` closely follows Thomas Mann`s story of a middle-aged, middle-class man developing an all-consuming love for a teenage boy.
What did he write about?
Many of Britten`s operas dealt with themes of non-acceptance and intolerance, especially in relation to homosexuality. That, in addition to his preference for writing particular artists into his operatic roles, including his companion Peter Pears, became his trademark. Through Pears, Britten developed a particular style in his writing for tenor voices.
Awards?
Britten was awarded the Order of Merit in March 1965; he was created a Life Peer, Baron Britten of Aldeburgh in the County of Suffolk, in the Queen`s Birthday Honours List, June, 1976. Three years earlier, in May, 1973, he had undergone open heart surgery which left him an invalid for the remainder of his life.
When did he die?
He died at his home in Aldeburgh, Suffolk, on 4 December 1976 and is buried in the churchyard of the Aldeburgh Parish Church. His companion Peter Pears is buried next to him, in adjacent graves.
Important gay figure?
Listed at number 68 in the top 500 lesbian and gay heroes in `The Pink Paper`, 26th September, 1997.