Nigel John Hess (born 22 July 1953)[1] is a British composer, best known for his television, theatre and film soundtracks, including the theme tunes to Campion, Maigret, Wycliffe, Dangerfield, Hetty Wainthropp Investigates, Badger and Ladies in Lavender.
The music has become popular worldwide, and was performed in the film by violinist Joshua Bell with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
While Hess was House Composer for the Royal Shakespeare Company he contributed twenty scores for RSC productions, and highlights from his Shakespeare scores have been recorded and performed by the RPO in concert as The Food of Love, hosted by Dame Judi Dench and Sir Patrick Stewart.
His most recent theatre scores have been written for Shakespeare's Globe in London and include The Merry Wives of Windsor, Romeo and Juliet, Henry VIII, The Knight of the Burning Pestle and Nell Gwynn.
July 2007 saw the première of Hess’s Concerto for Piano and Orchestra[3] (Classical Brits Nomination for Composer of the Year), commissioned by the Prince of Wales in memory of his grandmother.