Adam Gorb was born in Cardiff, Wales, and started composing at the age of ten. His first work broadcast on national radio was written when he was fifteen. He studied at Cambridge University (1977–1980) and the Royal Academy of Music (1991–1993), where he graduated with the highest honors including the Principal’s Prize. He has been on the staff at the London College of Music and Media, the junior Academy of the Royal Academy of Music and, since 2000 he has been the Head of the School of Composition at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England.