It has been announced that Francis Monkman, the innovative composer and musician whose eclectic talents spanned classical, rock, and film scores, has died.

Monkman will be remembered chiefly for his ground-breaking work as a member of the progressive rock band Curved Air, his score for the British gangster film The Long Good Friday and his chart-topping work in the classical-rock crossover band Sky.

Francis Monkman (1949–2023)

Born in London, Monkman was identified as a keyboard talent in early childhood. He underwent an establishment musical upbringing, first at Westminster School, where he studied organ and harpsichord, and later at the Royal Academy of Music, where he won the Raymond Russell prize his virtuosity on the harpsichord. He was then recruited into Academy of St Martin in the Fields.

Monkman co-founded the progressive rock band Curved Air out of the band Sisyphus in the early 70s, where he served as the group’s principal composer and multi-instrumentalist. His virtuosic performances on the VCS3 synthesizer, a cutting-edge instrument at the time, became a signature element of the band’s sound and helped redefine the boundaries of progressive rock.

Monkman’s versatility led him to collaborate with a diverse...