The British composer and cellist Robin Stevens has passed away from cancer at the age of 67.

Born in Newport, Wales, in 1958, Stevens studied the cello as a child with Dorothy Miller before completing a two-year preparatory music course at Dartington College. Aged just 16, he appeared as a soloist in Elgar's Cello Concerto with the College Orchestra.

He then studied jointly at the University of Manchester and the Royal Northern College of Music, before continuing to Birmingham University, where his composition teacher was John Joubert. It was during this period that he completed his first substantial work, a string quintet.

Over the course of his career, Stevens completed more than 180 works. The cello features strongly in his catalogue: he wrote a Sonata and Suite for unaccompanied cello, a cello concerto, 14 works for cello and piano and nearly 40 short works for unaccompanied cello.

Stevens also wrote for other stringed instruments, including two sonatas for violin and piano, seven shorter works for violin and piano and two short works for unaccompanied violin, as well as three short works for viola and a viola concerto.

A complete recording of Stevens' orchestral music was made by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and conductor Paul Mann, which is currently being released on the Toccata Classics label. In addition, Divine Art Records released five albums devoted to his chamber music, and his work Men improve with the years for soprano, recorder, oboe, violin, and cello is available on a Divine Art disc devoted to the works of Sir John Manduell.

Towards the end of his life, Stevens wrote an autobiography, which you can read in full on his website.

"My words are intended for informed and inquisitive music-lovers, to provide a readable introduction to my music, to give a sense of the range of my creative output, and, hopefully, to stimulate greater interest in my compositional oeuvre," Stevens wrote.

Our condolences to Mr. Stevens' family, friends, and colleagues.