Tristram Cary is a British composer and an early pioneer in electronic musi… Read Full Bio ↴Tristram Cary is a British composer and an early pioneer in electronic music and musique concrete.

Cary was educated at Westminster School in London, England and is the son of a pianist and the novelist, Joyce Cary, author of Mister Johnson. While working as a radar engineer for the British Navy during World War II, he independently developed his own conception of electronic and tape music. After the war he travelled around Europe to meet the small numbers of other early pioneers of electronic music and composition.

In 1967 he created the first electronic music studio of the Royal College of Music. He provided the visual design for the EMS VCS3 synthesizer, the first portable synthesizer, though not the first to be attached to a keyboard, designed by Bob Moog a year later in 1970.

His concert works of note include a Sonata for guitar (1959), Continuum for tape (1969), a cantata Peccata Mundi (1972), Contours and Densities at First Hill for orchestra (1972), a Nonet (1979), String Quartet No. 2 (1985) and The Dancing Girls for orchestra (1991).

Cary is also particularly well known for his film and television music. He has written music for the science fiction television series Doctor Who, as well as the score for the Ealing comedy The Ladykillers (1955). Later film scores included Quatermass and the Pit (1967) and Blood from the Mummy's Tomb (1971), both for Hammer.

Cary received the 2005 lifetime achievement award from the Adelaide Critics' Circle for his contribution to music in England and Australia.