Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood will become the British Broadcasting Corp.’s new composer in residence and will write a new work for one of its radio stations.
The assignment, expected to last three years, will allow Greenwood to use the BBC’s musical resources, including the BBC Concert Orchestra. His manager, Bryce Edge, said Tuesday the appointment will allow him to “learn how an orchestra works.”
The role was previously held by Anne Dudley, keyboard player for ’80s ambient band Art of Noise and winner of an Oscar for composing the score of 1997’s “The Full Monty.”
“He will have access to the resources, the archives, the scores and most importantly the BBC Concert Orchestra,” Edge said of Greenwood. “He will be able to workshop things he has written with the full orchestra. And it is an incredibly flexible arrangement.”
Greenwood is a trained viola player, but has not been educated in classical composition.
He is committed to writing a single piece for the BBC, and its length and style are up to him. During that work, he’ll remain a member of Radiohead and won’t interrupt the band’s recording or touring schedules.
The popular pop band is known for its unique cacophonies of rock-pop-electronica. Radiohead blends guitars, bass and drums with computer technology, drum machines, vocal loops and just plain noise ranging from radio broadcasts to static to sleigh bells.
Last year, Radiohead was voted the world’s best band at the annual Q music awards, winning the prize for the third straight year.
The band’s most recent album, “Hail to the Thief,” has been widely praised by critics in Britain and the United States.