Joby Talbot

Joby Talbot (born 1971 in London) is a British composer who has become the leading writer of original full-length ballet scores for his generation, most notably through his ongoing creative partnership with choreographer Christopher Wheeldon. He studied composition at the Guildhall School of Music and gained early recognition as a writer for television, most notably as composer for The League of Gentlemen (1999–2002) and subsequent projects.

His ballet scores for Wheeldon and The Royal Ballet have transformed the landscape of new commission work: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (2011) was the first full-length commissioned work by the Royal Ballet in sixteen years, and its success established a template for ambitious, large-scale collaborations. The Winter's Tale (2014) was hailed as one of the finest new ballets in a generation, praised for the coherence and emotional depth of Talbot's score. Like Water for Chocolate (2022), based on Laura Esquivel's novel, extended this partnership to American Ballet Theatre.

Talbot's scores are distinguished by their dramatic intelligence, orchestral richness and melodic memorability. He writes music that sustains long narrative arcs while remaining accessible and immediate in the theatre. He has also written concert works, choral pieces and film music, including the score for the film The Kid with a Bike (2011).