Andrew Lloyd Webber

Music that transcended the ages was Andrew Lloyd Webber's gift to the world. A musical genius, Webber composed some of the most visually stunning and lushly orchestrated stage productions that enjoyed universal acceptance and commercial success. An unstoppable force throughout his decades-long career, Webber was rewarded with an incalculable number of awards including Tonys, Grammys, and International Emmys, among others, for his extensive body of work - not just on stage but also in film and on television. He first shot to fame with the high-energy musical "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" (1968); the musical prelude to the numerous successful collaborations he enjoyed with lyricist Tim Rice. Webber kept up the tempo with the groundbreaking rock opera, "Jesus Christ Superstar" (1971) before mesmerizing audiences worldwide with the sweeping ballads and eclectic melodies found in the biopic "Evita" (1978). In 1981, Webber cranked up the volume and wrote the music for the eye-popping production "Cats," one of the longest-running international musicals. It was all a build-up to his most extravagant stage musical, "The Phantom of the Opera" (1986), a haunting love story that captured the hearts of millions worldwide, due to its breathtaking stage design, lavish costumes and piercingly beautiful music that could only have come from Webber's magical imagination. Webber's influence was very much felt in the industry. In 2010, he unveiled the West End production of "Love Never Dies," the much-anticipated sequel to "Phantom," which proved a strong testament to his enduring music legacy.