Oliver Knussen has come a long way since bursting onto the scene as a composing and conducting prodigy at age 14. “Bearded, toweringly tall and nearly as large around, Knussen, 53, lumbers into a room like a slightly disoriented bear. He looks as if he’d just as soon as be eating honey from a crockery jar as writing one of his fastidious musical miniatures.” He has also developed something of a reputation for missing compositional deadlines. However, despite the complexity of some of his work, he has become one of the UK’s most well-known composers, and he is an increasingly welcome guest on the podium of various major orchestras, probably for the quiet passion he brings to the work.