Lyell Cresswell (b.1944) was born in Wellington, New Zealand. He studied in Wellington, Toronto, Aberdeen and Utrecht. After some teaching at Glasgow University he joined Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, as Music Organiser. From 1980-82 he was Forman Fellow in Composition at Edinburgh University, and from 1982-85 Cramb Fellow at Glasgow University. Since 1985 he has been a full-time composer based in Edinburgh. Cresswell has been featured at many festivals, including the BBC Proms in 1989 and 1995 (for which his accordion concerto Dragspil was commissioned). He is Artistic Director of the “New Zealand, New Music” festivals, Edinburgh, 1998 and 2001.