Alastair King, born in 1967, is a British composer and conductor. He studied music at Bath College of Higher Education, graduating in 1991, followed by postgraduate studies at Birmingham University and the University of Kansas. His breakthrough came with "Hit the Ground (Running, Running, Running)", which was the only European entry in the final of the composing competition Masterprize 2001. King's work spans various films, including Shrek, Chicken Run, and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, as well as television programs like the FIFA World Cup 2002, The Last Detective, Second Nature, and William and Mary. He has collaborated extensively with composers such as Charlie Mole, Geoff Zanelli, Nicholas Hooper, and Rupert Gregson-Williams. King's notable roles include conducting and orchestrating for Doctor Who from Series 10, and he left the show after the 2017 Christmas special Twice Upon a Time, then returned in 2021 for Series 13's The Vanquishers.
