The publishing story of Boosey & Hawkes begins in 1930 with the merger of two rival music companies. Rather than waging a price war, Leslie Boosey and Ralph Hawkes joined forces and expanded their business from its London base to forge an international enterprise.

Signing established figures such as Bartók and investing in talented young composers like Britten and Copland, the company fully came of age with the acquisition of the Koussevitzky catalogue including works by Stravinsky, Rachmaninoff and Prokofieff. Close friendships developed, such as Ernst Roth’s with Strauss and Stravinsky in their final decades, whilst that with Britten was rent asunder by bitter in-fighting. Since 1970 the contemporary catalogue has embraced composers ranging from Birtwistle and Carter to Reich, Adams and Górecki.

Through boom years and unexpected financial threats, artistic foresight has been balanced with commercial reality to build “the world’s leading classical publisher” (Classical Music magazine).

Helen Wallace has worked as a music critic on The Times and as editor of The Strad, BBC Music Magazine, Southbank and About the House for the Royal Opera House. Her publications include Spirit of the Orchestra, about the Orchestra of the Age of the Enlightenment, and Classique UK. She is active as a broadcaster on BBC Radio 3 and 4 and is a Kodály teacher and cellist.