Will Todd, born on January 14, 1970, in County Durham, is an English composer and pianist. He attended Durham School and joined the choir of St Oswald's Church under David Higgins before studying music at the University of Bristol. Todd achieved a career breakthrough with the 2003 premiere of his work Mass in Blue, originally titled Jazz Mass. Commissioned by the Hertfordshire Chorus, the piece was first performed at the Cambridge Corn Exchange with his wife, soprano Bethany Halliday, and the Blue Planet Orchestra under conductor David Temple. Todd's acclaimed repertoire includes the opera The Blackened Man, which secured second prize at the 2002 International Verdi Opera Competition and was staged at the 2004 Buxton Festival. Additionally, he composed the oratorio Saint Cuthbert, featuring a libretto by Ben Dunwell, which was recorded by the Hallé Orchestra and Choir. His compositions encompass orchestral works, cantatas, and liturgical jazz, such as the 2015 release Jazz Missa Brevis.
