Sir Edward Elgar was an English composer whose works in the orchestral idiom of late 19th-century Romanticism, characterized by bold tunes and striking color effects, stimulated a renaissance of English music. The popular work "Enigma Variations" for orchestra was highly esteemed by Hans Richter, who conducted the first performance in 1899 and brought Elgar recognition as a leading composer. In 1904 Elgar was knighted and became the University of Birmingham’s first professor of music. During World War I, he wrote occasional patriotic pieces. At his death, he left unfinished a third symphony, a piano concerto, and an opera.