For over 50 years the London publishing wing of Universal Edition has remained committed to the vision of its founder, Dr Alfred Kalmus who, driven by political events to leave Austria, went to London in 1936 and inaugurated the London branch of Universal Edition.

His vision was to foster and encourage new and young composers from Britain and elsewhere in the English-speaking world, whilst maintaining an impressive catalogue of works by leading composers in the field of contemporary music.

With the outbreak of World War II UE London operated under the aegis of Boosey & Hawkes, where Kalmus added a new concern, the Anglo-Soviet Press, to propagate the music of leading Soviet composers.

UE London became independent again in 1949, and on 5th June 1951 the new “old” Universal Edition, the original holding, was re-established in Vienna.
The board members were Alfred A. Kalmus, Alfred Schlee and Ernst Hartmann.

In London, a brave and bold publishing programme also started in the 1950s, with the decision to publish the music of Richard Rodney Bennett. The Mines of Sulphur provoked a mixture of applause and cushion-throwing at its Italian premiere at La Scala, whilst his Jazz Calendar became a regular feature of the Royal Ballet's repertoire.

Publication of a wind quintet, Refrains and Choruses, in 1957 marked the beginning of a long and fruitful association with Sir Harrison Birtwistle, stretching for almost 40 years. Emerging from the progressive 'Manchester School' of composers, the uncompromising music of Birtwistle provided a challenging antidote to the prevailing tradition in Britain, as manifested in the performance of Punch and Judy at the Aldeburgh Festival in 1966.

David Bedford also joined UE London in the 1960s. Perhaps one of the first 'crossover' composers, he orchestrated Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells and also composed Star's End for rock instruments and orchestra. In expanding the frontiers of musical expression, his works sometimes called for such extra-musical resources as kazoos, balloons, pebbles and milk bottles.

In the 1960s, the music department of York University had established a reputation for progressive training in composition and the notation of contemporary music. At the forefront of this initiative was the composer Bernard Rands, whose music this company has published for nearly 40 years.

York University also provided and early impetus for UE London's educational programme. The Music for Young Players series appeared under the guidance of York's Dr John Paynter, and an enterprising annual summer school, 'New Music in Action', was organised by UE London in association with the university. At that time, music teaching in schools was also undergoing change, and UE London led the field in providing resources for the creative and experimental approach that was then developing.

Since then, a significant part of UE London's remit continues to be devoted to the thriving activity of music in education. There are few examination syllabuses throughout the world that do not feature the works of UE London's composers. James Rae's and Mike Cornick's works, for example, have regularly found a place on the syllabuses of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. But of equal importance is the provision of music which is both enjoyable and challenging to the developing musician.

In 1969 Dr Kalmus was honoured on the occasion of his 80th birthday with musical tributes from many leading composers of the time, including Boulez, Berio and Stockhausen. A Garland for Dr K, performed at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, on 22nd April 1969, demonstrated the esteem in which he and the company was held.

Dr Kalmus died in 1972 and John Palmer became Managing Director. Throughout the next two decades many of the finest composing talents were welcomed to the company and promoted by William Colleran, a director who was committed to the task of furthering new music. These composers included:
Michael Finnissy, Simon Holt, Vic Hoyland, James MacMillan, Dominic Muldowney, Nigel Osborne, Paul Patterson and Peter Wiegold. The UE London catalogue also features three of North America's leading avant-gardists, Earle Brown, Morton Feldman and R Murray Schafer, and from Australasia, Barry Conyngham, Ross Edwards, Jennifer Fowler, David Lumsdaine, Richard Meale and Julian Yu.

The internationally renowned composer David Sawer has been published by UE London since the 1980s, and his opera From Morning to Midnight was received to great acclaim at its English National Opera debut in 2001. Sawer’s Piano Concerto, premiered by Rolf Hind at the 2002 BBC Proms, was referred to as a “real jeu d’esprit”, and Rebus, a musikFabrik commission, has been premiered with much success in Germany and London (the latter performance forming part of a day-long focus by the London Sinfonietta on Sawer’s music).
Meanwhile, the Irish composer Ian Wilson has enjoyed many performances of his works in places as diverse as Venice, Granada, Amsterdam, Dublin, Flensburg, Oslo, Paris, Budapest, Stockholm, Warsaw, Geneva, Gozo, Mexico City, and of course in the three homes of UE: Vienna, London and New York. Wilson’s work has been called “economical, subtle and perfectly judged“ whilst he is considered “a composer of integrity, resourcefulness and (crucially) genuine communicative gifts“.

Recently, the young London-based composer Roxanna Panufnik has been signed up to Universal Edition. Much in demand for her fascinating choral and vocal works, a recent commission, however, from Savannah Festival, is a violin concerto, Abraham, which was premiered to great acclaim by virtuoso Daniel Hope.

Universal Edition London continues to this day to nurture the best of musical composition whether this be for the stage or the school, the concert hall or the curriculum.