The pianist and musicologist Olivia I-Hsuan Tsai recently discussed my music and music-making in China and Taiwan in a presentation given online for the College Music Society. In the same paper, she discussed the music of Paul SanGregory and Michael Sidney Timpson. The link to the abstract, presentation and related video files and links for…Continue Reading “Olivia I-Hsuan Tsai, Lost in Diversity: Western Expatriates in Asia and the multi-cultural influences in their music (Nov.’24)”
About three weeks ago, my eponymous Holloway Children’s Choir held a party to celebrate the fifth anniversary of our trip to the UK for a competition and tour. Five years ago, I never would have imagined that they would hold a reunion party every year for the next five years, each time with a different…Continue Reading “Holloway Children’s Choir- UK Tour Fifth Anniversary Party (Sept.’24)”
https://www.parmarecordings.com/…/division-of-memory…/ After a pandemic-induced delay of four and a half years, the launch concert for “Division of Memory” is finally set for November! Hopefully I’ll make it to New York in person. Thanks to Tom and Yoon for seeing the project through after so many years of delays! Can’t wait to hear the pieces live….Continue Reading “Novella in New York- 22nd Nov. ’24”
I’m very excited that soprano Ying-Tzu Huang and pianist Chiu Hsing-Tzu will reprise their performance of my piece Songs of the Raccoon Dogs (Hokklo Folk Transcriptions) , alongside flautist Ming-Li Huang, at the T T Music Space on 19th January 2025. Ying-Tzu Huang has programmed the piece in her vocal portrait, which is part of T…Continue Reading “《自畫像》黃盈慈聲樂獨唱會– 作品演出，《貉獠之歌》：福佬歌謠 Songs of the Raccoon Dogs (Hokklo Folk Transcriptions)- forthcoming performance Jan.’25”
I put on my composer portrait, Ghost in the Machine, on 9th April 2024 in the National Recital Hall in Taipei, Taiwan, in collaboration with Taiwan’s leading contemporary music ensemble, TimeArt Studio. Over the course of three weeks in June, I premiered all five of the pieces from the concert on YouTube; the audio and video…Continue Reading “⟪機械中的幽靈⟫：媒體、照片 “Ghost in the Machine”: Recordings, Photos (April ’24)”
It was a great privilege to be able to participate in the composition workshop with Unsuk Chin, organised by the 2024 Weiwuying International Music Festival. It was an important recognition for me that I am working on pieces which Unsuk Chin deemed worthy of closer inspection, and in which she felt sufficiently interested that she…Continue Reading “衛武營國際音樂節作曲工作坊：照片、心得 Weiwuying International Music Festival Composition Workshop: Photos, Reflection (April ’24)”
On March 30th 2024, I was honoured to participate in the C-Camerata International Festival for Contemporary Music, “Crossing Sounds”, both as a composer and a conductor. As the sole conductor for the festival, I had the chance to rehearse and conduct four world premieres, including my new work South of the Great Wall. The other works…Continue Reading “「跨響」-台北中央C國際當代音樂節：照片與媒體 C-Camerata International Festival for Contemporary Music “Crossing Sounds”: photos and media (March ’24)”
Xu Yun-feng from the Taiwan Performing Arts Review wrote a review of my concert, and his insights were remarkable. In the final paragraph, he suggested that “cross-disciplinary” approaches might help “novices to modern music” find ways to appreciate it, which is an interesting idea. Today, I also had the chance to meet Yunfeng in person…Continue Reading “⟪機械中的幽靈⟫：記者評論、面談 “Ghost in the Machine”: Press Review and Interview (April ’24)”
I answered this questionnaire for the pianist and musicologist I-Hsuan Olivia Tsai in March last year. She has been doing research into Western composers living and working in Asia, and has given presentations on my music alongside that of Paul San Gregory and Michael Timpson. Her next Lost in Diversity presentation will be at the…Continue Reading ““Lost in Diversity”- questionnaire response (from March ’23)”
I’m proud to share my edit of the premiere of South of the Great Wall here. It was a very intense festival, but I’m pleased with what we managed to do in two days of rehearsal (to prepare two complete concert programmes). I have edited the two camera views together, and mixed in some of the…Continue Reading ““SOUTH OF THE GREAT WALL”《城南荒原》- video of premiere performance at “Crossing Sounds” Festival, Taipei (March ’24)”
購買票：https://www.opentix.life/event/176049… 節目介紹 本場現代室內⾳樂會之宗旨係以英國作曲家、指揮家—盧長劍的五⾸作品來呈現給台灣的藝 術⾳樂愛好者，其中四⾸作品皆是在國外曾受觀眾歡迎但尚未在台灣演出的作品，以及⼀⾸ 世界⾸演的⼗五重奏。盧長劍已來台將近五年，並已經引起了台灣的現代藝術性音樂愛好者的一定矚目。他希望能夠與大家分享他個⼈原創作品的肖像⾳樂會，來將⼀些他在來台以前所創作的重要作品呈現給台灣的觀眾，讓⼤家能更深入地認識他的創作世界。 曲⽬的編制、內容與背後的觀念包羅萬象，包含⼆、四、五、七以及⼗五重奏、有卡農、舞 台上和舞台下的演奏者、⼤⾃然中的靜⽌與流動的描繪、幾何性的拼貼、甚至有蛋⽩質分⼦ 微觀振動的聽覺化！ 盧長劍選⽤⽜津⼤學的哲學教授吉爾伯特・賴爾所創造的短語：「機械中的幽靈」（“ghost in the machine”）作為本場作曲家肖像⾳樂會的標題。儘管賴爾曾使⽤此短語來批 評哲學家勒內・笛卡爾⼼身⼆元論的觀念，因為他並不認為⼈類是⼀個有著靈魂和身體分開 的⼆元合體，但作曲家依然很著迷該比喻，並對他很有共鳴，因為它能貼切地形容本場⾳樂 會所選出的曲⽬均有的共通特點：這五部作品各⾃都有⾃⼰的公式或機械性的過程在背後運 ⾏著，但是它們仍然極其富有豐富的表情和戲劇性的表現⼒，這就是短語中的「機械」與 「幽靈」。 時間藝術工作室希望觀眾能接收到許多刺激與啟發，聽到從未聽過的聲響，藉此考 慮到新的⾳樂表現的可能性，並透過盧長劍有個性的⾳樂創作，重新認識現代⾳樂的語⾔。 演出曲目 ⟪德魯斯基寧卡農⟫ Druskininkanonas (2011) 為中音長笛、雙簧管、降E單簧管、低音管和中提琴而作 ⟪空城故事（第一篇）⟫ Novella (Chapter One) (2016-2017) 為大提琴和鋼琴而作 ⟪亞穩態⟫ Metastable （2019） 為弦樂四重奏而作 I. Godric of Finchale (c.1065-1170) II. Henry Purcell (1659-1695) III. Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683-1764) IV. Modest Mussorgsky (1839-1881) V. Morton Feldman…Continue Reading “⟪機械中的幽靈⟫盧長劍作曲家肖像⾳樂會 “Ghost in the Machine”: George Holloway Composer Portrait Concert (April 9 2024)”
敬邀各位音樂愛好者和朋友們前來聆聽我在台灣的第一場作品發表會，或者說，「肖像音樂會」！「肖像」中的人就是我，希望透過這五首作品，大家能夠更深入地認識我本人。 這場音樂會共有五首作品要呈現給台灣的藝術音樂愛好者，其中四首皆是在國外曾受觀眾歡迎但尚未在台灣演出的作品，另外還有一首世界首演的十五重奏。 這次也很榮幸能夠再進一步和 TimeArt Studio 時間藝術工作室共同合作，有這麼棒的團隊來演奏我的作品，並且大家都非常熱心和努力地幫助我申請各項任務，跟我起完成這個對我來說是一場非常有挑戰和非常重要的音樂會，特別感謝各位的幫忙！ ⟪機械中的幽靈⟫盧長劍作曲家肖像⾳樂會 “Ghost in the Machine”: George Holloway Composer Portrait Concert 時間：113年4月9日（二）晚上19:30 地點：國家演奏廳 主辦單位：時間藝術工作室 售票連結：https://www.opentix.life/event/1760497151912366081 #timeartstudio #時間藝術工作室 #contemporaryartmusic #兩廳院 #國家演奏廳 #nationalrecitalhall
The Weiwuying International Music Festival (in Kaohsiung, Taiwan) has chosen me as one of two composers to be commissioned to compose a new piece for their 2025 season. Commissioned composers are also invited to participate in the preceding year’s composer workshop with Unsuk Chin, which happens in April 2024. This was very much “third time…Continue Reading “Weiwuying International Music Festival: 2024 Composition Workshop/2025 Commission 衛武營國際音樂節：錄取2024年作曲工作坊、接受2025年音樂節委託創作”
A short piece for choir and organ, Pentecost, has been selected for inclusion in this year’s London Festival of Contemporary Church Music. The 2024 festival takes place from May 10-24, spanning Ascension Day, Ascension Sunday and Pentecost, and so my piece Pentecost fits in well with the timing and theme of the festival. 我的一首為合唱團和管風琴而寫的短曲，《聖靈降臨節》，已被入選今年倫敦當代教堂音樂節。2024年的音樂節將於5月10日至24日期間舉行，橫跨升天節、升天主日和聖靈降臨節，因此我的作品《聖靈降臨節》在時機和節慶主題上都很適合。 I wrote…Continue Reading ““Pentecost” selected for London Festival of Contemporary Church Music (May ’24)”
I’m excited to have my music featured in the C-Camerata International Festival for Contemporary Music, “Crossing Sounds”: three concerts in one day at the legendary Forum Music Taipei, with performances from the Geori Ensemble (Korea), Gunnar Berg Salzburg and C-Camerata Taipei. This is the incredible promotional video of the festival: https://tungchaoming.wixsite.com/c-camerata From the C-Camerata Website:…Continue Reading ““South of the Great Wall” 《城南荒原》quintet version premiere at C-Camerata International Festival for Contemporary Music (March ’24)”
Festival Link: Die Pipa: Volksmusik aus Taiwan im Spiegel unserer Zeit Six months from conception to completion, South of the Great Wall (《城南荒原》) is one of my more ambitious works to date. I’ve made threee different versions: a duet for soprano and guitar, a trio for sheng, pipa and ‘cello, and a quintet for the…Continue Reading ““South of the Great Wall”- premiere at Passauer Saiten, Passau (March ’24)”
The two concerts of the Taipei International Festival of New Music took place in the National Recital Hall in October 2023. Both concerts were wonderful, with programmes of new works by Taiwanese and “honorary Taiwanese“ (ie. me) composers replete with fresh sounds and imaginative dramatic and rhetorical structures. It is a brilliant festival that deserves…Continue Reading “Hook for solo guzheng performed at 2023 Taipei International New Music Festival (Oct ’23)”
I was honoured to be invited to give the keynote lecture at the 23rd International Music Theory Conference: Principles of Music Composing- “National Versus Global”, held at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre (LMTA) from November 15th to 17th 2023. The title of my lecture was Composition as an extension of ethnomusicology: the…Continue Reading “Keynote Lecture at 23rd International Music Theory Conference, LMTA”
[To hear one of Chen Yu-Han’s complete recordings of my solo work “Hook” please go to my bandcamp page here. More recordings, including fragments and improvisations, to follow!] In the last year and half I’ve been looking into approaches to human-AI co-creation, working in particular with Glasgow-based scientist Lex O’Brien. They have been helping me…Continue Reading “Human-AI Co-Creation project update (Aug ’23)”
Click here to listen! 為了聆聽請點這裡！ Choral conductor, prolific broadcaster, author and musicologist Mali Liu (劉馬利) invited me to be interviewed for her radio programme “A Thousand Miles, talking about music” （【有緣千里·話音樂】）for the Taipei Broadcasting Station. She has to date already produced thirty-three episodes of this series, each one focussing on a different foreign musician living…Continue Reading “Interview with Mali Liu for the Taipei Broadcasting Station (Sept. ’23)”
I was excited to receive notification from Cambridge Scholars Publishing that the Proceedings of both the 2022 and 2023 sessions of the International Symposium of Contemporary Music Research, which I organise under the auspices of Nanhua University, have been accepted for publication. The titles I’ve chosen for the two sets of Proceedings are: 2022: Shifting…Continue Reading “Exciting News! Symposium Proceedings accepted for publication (Aug ’23)”
From April to June 2023, I organised for the third year running an international academic symposium for the department of ethnomusicology of Nanhua University. This symposium took the status quo and future trends of contemporary art music in Taiwan and abroad as its research theme. The goal was to assemble contributions (papers and compositions) from…Continue Reading “2023 Third International Symposium of Contemporary Music Research “Contemporary Music, Present and Future”2023年第三屆國際當代音樂研討會與座談 「當代音樂的現況與未來的趨勢」(Apr.-June ’23)”
2022年上半部分我曾經改編一首《讚佛歌》，該首歌曲使用約翰·奧德威的歌曲《夢見家和母親》之旋律，歌詞由佛光山的創辦人星雲大師撰寫。我編的版本有重新設計和聲、副旋律和配器。結構2022年的佛誕節音樂會被取消，所以我只能等到今年才有機會聽它的演出。 我改編的《讚佛歌》首演於2023年4月30日在彰化市福山寺舉辦的「山間有福 人文饗宴 走進星光雲遊樂音中」音樂會活動，由南華大學民族音樂學系的學生演奏。 沒想到，再過不到三個星期，我就有機會再聽它一遍。南華大學、佛光山圓福寺及叢林學院於2023年5月19日晚上在嘉義市文化局音樂廳舉辦了「禮讚偉大佛陀暨緬懷星雲大師音樂會」，本人改編的《讚佛歌》由民音系的三位老師— 蕭呈叡 、 劉辛宜和張誦芬演奏。 演出前一天，聽完排練以後，我感覺樂曲可以編得更好，所以我先沒有回家，而找了一個星巴克可以坐一個小時改一改。沒想到，四個半小時以後我才能把它改成令自己滿意的樣子！
(scroll down for English programme note and song texts) 青年歌唱家黃盈慈，青年鋼琴演奏家邱杏慈和長笛演奏家彭建翔於2023年4月13日在台北誠品表演廳，在雅歌樂集合唱團 「春暖花開歌先知」的音樂會中首演了我專門為他們創作的《貉獠之歌》（福佬歌謠改編 ），首演圓滿成功。黃盈慈對歌詞中不同角色與情緒的轉換、畫面轉折和戲劇性效果的詮釋都很生動。我從觀眾席裡聽著可以感覺到觀眾真的很欣賞我的音樂！ 我改編的歌曲如下： （一）《五更鼓》 （二）《草蜢弄雞公》 （三）《留傘調》 （四）《一隻鳥仔哮啾啾》 請滑到最下面，就可以閱讀歌詞。 《貉獠之歌》：福佬歌謠改編 歌詞 （一）《五更鼓》 （僅第一、第五段） 一更的更鼓月照山 牽君仔的手摸心肝 阿君問娘欲按怎 隨在阿君的心肝 五更的更鼓天漸光 我君啊要轉心頭酸 滿腹心情漸漸悶 頭暈目眩面青青 （二）《草蜢弄雞公》 （僅第一到第四段） 人生六十伊都像古樹 無疑食老伊都愈健丟 看著小娘伊都面肉幼 害我學人伊都老風流 啊伊都那噯唷啊伊都老風流 草蜢弄雞公 啊 雞公披搏跳 老人食老伊都性愛守 毋通變成伊都老不修 若是愛我伊都做朋友 可惜你是伊都長喙鬚 啊伊都那噯唷啊伊都長喙鬚 草蜢弄雞公 啊 雞公披搏跳 嫌我喙鬚伊都歹看樣 我著來剔伊都光溜溜 你著交我伊都卡永久 少年僥雄伊都無尾溜…Continue Reading “《貉獠之歌》 Songs of the Raccoon Dogs （Apr. ’23）”
I had a lot of fun thinking about, researching and delivering this lecture- all with just three days’ notice too. 研究所的所長陳慧珊表示： 「感謝南華大學民族音樂學系盧長劍（Dr. George Holloway)老師蒞臨跨域所，在短短兩小時的時間內，盧老師為同學解說、示範西音樂史上的各個時期的『新』與『舊』觀念，透過曲式分析和作品比較，對於史上所謂的『傳統』、『保守』，抑或是『創新』、『現代』、『當代』、『多元』等概念，有諸多證辯性和反思性的討論；此外，在老師的鼓勵下，研究生具深度的提問與反饋，亦是令人印象深刻。 唯有對歷史嚴肅而正向的真誠面對，方能開拓最具前瞻性與挑戰力的未來。」
The extraordinary (and, in terms of the Taiwanese contemporary music scene, extraordinarily important) C-Camerata Taipei have commissioned me to compose a new fifteen minute work for them, for soprano, guitar, sheng, pipa and ‘cello. A reduced version for trio of sheng, pipa and ‘cello will first be premiered in a concert titled Die Pipa: Volksmusik…Continue Reading “C-Camerata Taipei commission/conducting (early ’24)”
I wrote the open score piece flourishing as incidental music to be used in the “Crossover Music Theatre” performance, put on by Nanhua University Dept. Ethnomusicology at the All Nations Cinema, Dalin, Chiayi, Taiwan on Christmas Day 2022. 我寫了一首「開放樂譜」《欣欣向榮》作為配樂，用於南華大學民族音樂學系於2022年聖誕節在台灣嘉義大林萬國戲院上演的《樂舞串流》跨域音樂劇場表演。 It was performed by mixed Chinese and Western instruments. There was very little rehearsal time, I…Continue Reading “Crossover Music Theatre incidental music “flourishing” 樂舞串流：《欣欣向榮》(Dec. ’22)”
Over the last eighteen months I’ve been engaged in an ongoing project to familiarise myself with the ancient and charming instrumentarium of Chinese court ceremonial music, known as Yayue, a close ancestor of the Japanese gagaku. I’ve approached this from the point of view of first understanding the characteristic atmosphere of a traditional Confucian ritual,…Continue Reading “Yayue project update 雅樂項目更新: Three (More) Yayue for the Confucian “Capping Ceremony” 《三加禮》第二套 (Dec. ’22)”
Chun-hao Ku (alto sax), Xiao Yi-Fei (zhonghu), Yu-Ying Chang (marimba doubling vibraphone), Jing Mu Kuo (guzheng) 顧鈞豪 （中音薩克斯風）、蕭奕飛（中胡）、張育瑛（木琴兼顫音琴）、郭靖沐（古箏） About the piece: Moon is scored for a quartet comprising alto saxophone, zhonghu, a percussionist playing marimba and vibraphone, and guzheng. In terms of the meaning or expression of the piece, both the astronomical and cultural aspects of…Continue Reading “Video recording and premiere of “Moon” at Taipei International New Music Festival 臺北國際現代音樂節入圍作品《月》的錄影和首演（Oct.’22）”
I had a wonderful time with everyone at the TimeArt Studio, who premiered my piece (with me conducting) at Tunghai University in September. The performance had the added dramatic tension of knowing that just as the previous piece was ending, Taiwan experienced a sizeable earthquake that caused all the lighting rig and furniture to rattle! …Continue Reading “TimeArt Studio Premiere of “Walking by Willow Creek” at Tunghai University 時間藝術工作室：《漫步柳川》在東海大學之首演 2022.9.18″
Last week I received confirmation that my new nine-and-a-half minute piece for solo guzheng, titled Hook, has been selected in the B category (plucked instruments) in the latest call for works of the Taiwan Branch of the International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM). It will receive its premiere in the 2023 edition of the Taipei…Continue Reading “NEW WORK “HOOK” SELECTED FOR INCLUSION IN 2023 TAIPEI INTERNATIONAL NEW MUSIC FESTIVAL (Aug. ’22)”
Forgotten Voices 「傳統與現在從我開始」 非常期待我的為古箏、笙與琵琶而作的三重奏《漫步柳川》9.18在東海大學的首演。歡迎在台中（還有更遙遠）的朋友們來聆聽《時間藝術學院》充滿活力的音樂家們哦！ I am very much looking forward to the premiere of my trio for Guzheng, Sheng and Pipa “Walking by Willow Creek” on 18th September at Tunghai University. Friends in Taichung (and further afield) are welcome to come and listen to the energetic musicians of TimeArt Studio! 2022 TimeArt Academy 青年作曲家作品首演音樂會開賣囉！…Continue Reading “Premiere of “Walking by Willow Creek” at Tunghai University–Time Art Studio “Forgotten Voices” 2022 《漫步柳川》在東海大學的首演：「傳統與現在從我開始」2022年時間藝術工作室青年作曲家作品首演音樂會”
Last week I had some very rewarding and useful online rehearsals with the four players who will premiere my piece Moon in October, as part of the Taipei International New Music Festival. The festival is administered by ISCM Taiwan, and Moon was selected by the jury in a call for works last year. It’s exciting to hear…Continue Reading “Rehearsing for the premiere of “Moon” at Taipei International New Music Festival (Aug.’22) 臺北國際現代音樂節將首演的《月》之排練（2022.8）”
An update on the video/audio recordings of the pieces selected for inclusion in the “Symposium of New Works and Research into Contemporary Composers” (organised by Nanhua University Dept. of Ethnomusicology) : We have reached an important milestone. Po Wei Lai (violin), Yi-Chung Chang (violoncello) and Yun-Yao Kao (piano) (members of the Dominant5 piano quintet) worked…Continue Reading “Symposium of New Works: Recordings of Selected Compositions (July/Aug.’22) 當代作曲家新創作交流會：入選作品的錄影（2022年7至8月）”
Robert Hugill has written a nice review of Sam Cave’s CD “Refracted Resonance”, which features my two guitar sonatas. You can read the review here: https://www.planethugill.com/2022/05/magical-places-sam-caves-refracted.html Hugill writes of my first sonata: George Holloway’s Guitar Sonata was written for Sam Cave and the work explores the contrasts between clouds of harmonics and normal fretted chords. The work…Continue Reading “CD Review of Sam Cave “Refracted Resonance” (April ’22)”
I’m excited to be working with the prize-winning Taichung Chamber Choir and their charismatic conductor I-Chen Yang to compose a new piece for her multimedia choral programme 「原粹」（yuan cui）, which translates directly as something like “original” or “pure”– though perhaps “original essence” expresses best the atmosphere of this interesting performance. I-Chen Yang has invited me…Continue Reading “Taichung Chamber Choir commission: first rehearsals of sketches (2022.3-4)”
I’m was excited to be able to organise once again the Symposium of New Works and Research into Contemporary Composers which is took place online on May 21st, under the aegis of Nanhua University Dept. of Ethnomusicology. The academic committee* chose eight papers and six compositions for inclusion in this year’s event. I’m was very…Continue Reading “Symposium of New Works and Research into Contemporary Composers (2022.5.21)”
(Scroll down for English) 當代作曲家新創作交流會 我很高興能組織第二屆「當代作曲家新創作交流會」。第一屆已於 2021 年 7 月以線上的形式舉辦（請參閱本文底部關於去年活動的網站貼文之連結）。 今年的活動也將在線上進行，除了室內樂團 Dominant Five 在南華大學妙音樓的入選作品之現場表演外，該表演同時將進行網路直播。英國作曲家和創意總監 Peter Wiegold 將發表主題演講。關於彼得和他的音樂製作，請參閱 Peter Wiegold Bio 和 Club Inegales 的連結。 本次研討會的主題是「新文化與新科技典範對傳統和前衛的作曲實踐之影響」（需要注意的是，文化的因素與技術方面同等重要，甚至更重要）。歡迎研究人員、表演者和作曲家提交論文。歡迎作曲家提交論文和作品（請分別填寫兩份申請）。申請截止日期為4月15日。 有關研討會的訊息以及申請辦法，請查看以下連結： 研討會網頁 申請表在這裡： 申請表 祝大家好運！ I’m excited to be organising the second edition of the “Symposium of New Works and Research into Contemporary Composers”. The first event happened online in…Continue Reading “2022.5.21 研討會啟事– Symposium Announcement (21st May 2022)”
藉由南華大學研發處的資助，本人已開始進行新的專題研究：“人工智慧作為作曲的輔助工具以及靈感的來源：探索機器學習的風格轉移在音樂創作中的運用之潛力”。 Supported by funding from the Nanhua University Research and Development Office, I’ve begun a new research project: “AI as a compositional aid and a source of inspiration: exploring the potential application of machine learning style transfer to musical creativity”. 我2022年1月應研究中心總監Emily Howard的邀請曾參觀英國皇家北英格蘭音樂學院的音樂與科技研究與實踐中心（PRiSM）。我在研究中心裡有機會了解到他們令人贊嘆的超級電腦「PRiSM sample RNN」的功能，並與學者討論它在輔助作曲上的可能性。我們有討論我初步的研究方向，並規劃進一步的討論。 In January 2022 I was invited by Emily Howard, director of…Continue Reading “人工智慧與作曲的研究項目（音樂與科技的研究與實踐中心 2022年1月參觀）AI in Musical Composition Research Project: visit to PRiSM research centre (Jan.’22)”
I’ve been working with the Yayue ensemble in the Ethnomusicology department at Nanhua University to compose some new works for this ancient and very special group of instruments. The Chinese name for this music, Yayue (雅樂), literally translates as “elegant music”. the most common English translation is Gagaku, but this is not completely adequate, as…Continue Reading “Yayue Project with Nanhua Ethnomusicology Dept. (Dec. 2021) 跟南華大學民族音樂學系的雅樂團合作：雅樂現代創作研究（21年12月起）”
I’m particularly proud of this interview I did with “The Inside Story”, published on the Parma Records blog, discussing my work for ‘cello and piano Novella (Chapter One), which is featured on the Thomas Mesa and Yoon Lee’s “Division of Memory” CD. In it I had a chance to explain some aspects of my compositional…Continue Reading “Interview with “The Inside Story” (Dec. 2021)”
Very happy to receive notification that the CD “Division of Memory”, featuring my duo Novella (Chapter One), won a bronze medal at the Global Music Awards 2021. Click on the link below to see the full name list. 很高興收到通知，包含我的二重奏《空城故事（第一篇）》的CD 「Division of Memory」 獲得了2021年的Global Music Awards的銅獎。可以打開以下的連結看看完整的名單： Global Music Awards – Music Competition Related Posts: 相關的貼文： …Continue Reading “CD 「Division of Memory」 獲得了Global Music Awards的銅獎（2022年2月）”
吉他演奏家Sam Cave有委約我為他的新的CD以及音樂會項目「Felix namque」創作一部新獨奏作品。本項目的主題圍繞著15、16世紀英國作曲家常用的體裁，叫做“Felix namque”。這種鍵盤作品，像更知名的體裁「In nomine」一樣，是基於Felix namque es的聖詠之複音音樂作品。我很榮幸可以跟Michael Finnissy、Christopher Fox、John Croft以及其他作曲家一起參與本次項目。 有關「Felix namque」，Sam Cave有寫過： “This project aims to create eclectic and contemporary responses to the English tradition of composing ‘Felix Namques’ by commissioning a range of composers to write new works for solo guitar. These works will engage with the plainsong source material, Felix namque es,…Continue Reading “「Felix namque」的吉他創作項目：由吉他演奏家Sam Cave委約的新獨奏作品“bountiful”（《穰穰》）已完成（2022年）”
I’m delighted to announce that Thomas Mesa and Yoon Lee’s recording of “Novella (Chapter One)” for ‘cello and piano is finally being released this month. Read about the album here: Division of Memory The album is available on the following platforms: Spotify YouTube Apple Music I composed Novella (Chapter One) when I was living…Continue Reading “CD Release: “Novella (Chapter One)” for ‘cello and piano (Oct. 2021)”
My new nine-minute quartet for zhonghu, guzheng, alto saxophone and tuned percussion (marimba doubling vibraphone), titled Moon, has been selected in the latest call for works of the Taiwan Branch of the International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM). It will receive its premiere in the 2022 edition of the Taipei International New Music Festival. For…Continue Reading “New work “Moon” selected for inclusion in 2022 Taipei International New Music Festival (Oct. 2021)”
My recent article on rhythmic notation has been published in Nanhua University’s “Journal of Arts and Design”. Owing to its distribution being very limited, I’ve shared the paper below. For non-Mandarin readers, here is the English abstract: This paper considers practical and ideographic aspects of various notations of rhythms using non-power-of-two divisions of the whole…Continue Reading “Article Published by Nanhua University “Journal of Arts and Design” 南華大學「藝術與設計期刊」發表學術論文（Summer 2021）”
My recent posts are all a little out of order: I’ve just finished re-editing the videos of a performance from May with the students and professors at Nanhua Ethnomusicology. I was invited to make two arrangements of Buddhist songs celebrating the Buddha’s birthday for the combined forces of the department’s western and Chinese orchestras and…Continue Reading “Songs for the Buddha’s Birthday (performance of song arrangements for western and Chinese orchestras and choir) (2021.5.8)”
On July 3rd 2021 I organised a one-day online symposium discussing contemporary music under the aegis of Nanhua University, Taiwan. The title of the symposium was “Symposium of New Works and Research into Contemporary Composer”. The theme for this year was “Avant-Garde and Experimental Creative Considerations in Art Music”. Over 70 people signed up and…Continue Reading “Nanhua University: Symposium of New Works and Research into Contemporary Composers “Avant-Garde and Experimental Creative Considerations in Art Music” 2021.7.3″
This happened a while back but I’ve only just got hold of the concert programme. I was honoured to be made a guest conductor of the Taichung Chamber Choir in November 2020, and my first performance with the choir was as part of the Jazz @ Home concert in National Taichung Theatre on December 24…Continue Reading “Guest conductorship: Taichung Chamber Choir (Jazz @ Home concert, 24th Dec. 2020)”
I invited my mentor Michael Finnissy to deliver the keynote address at the Nanhua University Dept. of Ethnomusicology’s “Symposium of New Works and Research into Contemporary Composers”. See my more detailed post on the symposium here: Nanhua University: Symposium of New Works and Research into Contemporary Composers “Avant-Garde and Experimental Creative Considerations in Art Music”…Continue Reading “Michael Finnissy Keynote Address at Symposium”
Guitarist Sam Cave discussed and performed extracts of my sonatas in a research seminar at Brunel University, UK, in December 2019. He’s recently put it online and shared the link with me. He speaks with authority on my guitar music– after all, I wrote it for him, and we spent many happy hours rehearsing, refining…Continue Reading ““Refracted Resonance”- Sam Cave’s Seminar in Brunel University, 11th December 2019 (late upload)”
I finally got hold of the physical copy of the Journal of Arts and Design (published by Nanhua University) that published my article on my string quartet Metastable. Previous posts on Metastable and the “Metastable Impressions” project: METASTABLE IMPRESSIONS: DOCUMENTARY, AND JOURNAL PUBLICATION (MARCH 2020) LIGETI QUARTET PERFORM “METASTABLE” AT BRISTOL UNIVERSITY (METASTABLE IMPRESSIONS PROJECT, MAY 2019)…Continue Reading “Journal Article Published (read it below)”
I’m delighted with Melissa Bishop’s short edit of her documentary on the Metastable Impressions project from May 2019: I’m also very excited by the recent news that my creative report on the project is to be published by the Nanhua University Journal of Art and Design (more anon on that topic). Read our…Continue Reading “Metastable Impressions: documentary, and journal publication (March 2020)”
I’ll be traveling to New York in March for the launch concert of Thomas Mesa and Yoon Lee’s CD of works for ‘cello and piano, including my work Novella (Chapter One). The DiMenna Center website link is below: “Join GRAMMY nominated Cuban-American cellist Tommy Mesa for an evening of music at the DiMenna Center in Hell’s…Continue Reading “Forthcoming: Parma Records recording and CD launch concert (March 2020)”
Cor Teifi and Cor Teifi Orchestra, with the Haverfordwest Ladies Choir, performed the Western premiere of my piece Pied Beauty, in a concert at Rhosygilwen on 24th November 2019. The superb conductor and pianist Henry Ward conducted. They performed the revised version of the work with three vocal parts, which I had originally adapted for…Continue Reading “Cor Teifi perform “Pied Beauty” at Rhosygilwen (Nov. 2019)”
I was thrilled and excited to have the New York premiere of my work for ‘cello and piano, Novella (Chapter One), on 16th November 2019, performed by two young star performers, Thomas Mesa and Yoon Lee. Fascinatingly, this performance took place in the private home of Ellen and Fred Harris in NYC; I was very…Continue Reading “Thomas Mesa, Yoon Lee perform “Novella (Chapter One)” in New York (Nov.2019)”
On 28th May 2019 the renowned Ligeti Quartet premiered my work for string quartet, Metastable. This piece was my contribution to the Metastable Impressions project. You can read about the background to the project here: Collaboration with Ligeti Quartet (Bristol University Jean Golding Institute Seed Corn Award): “Metastable Impressions” Read the team’s brilliantly detailed blogpost below…Continue Reading “Ligeti Quartet perform “Metastable” at Bristol University (Metastable Impressions Project, May 2019)”
Sam Cave’s CD, Refracted Resonance, was released on Metier in 2019. In press reviews both sonatas were described as “a mix of beautifully spacious soundscapes”, as “worthy of repeated attention”, and my second sonata in particular was described as “severe or laconic, [which] carries a barren beauty, like a windswept landscape” (full text of the…Continue Reading “Metier CD launch concert and reviews (May 2019)”
The mother of a singer in the children’s choir wrote a moving and lively report of the UK tour, which I’ve translated into English and accompanied by photographs. Enjoy! 陶妈手记之那年夏天英国行 Mummy Tao (Snow)’s record of our Summer travel in the UK 为了参加Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod（兰戈伦国际音乐节），Holloway Children’s Choir（霍洛韦童声合唱团）师生及家长一行55人，在指挥卢长剑老师和“经济人”周婷婷的带领下，从中国到英国，穿越8266公里，天津-伦敦-兰戈伦-牛津，历时16天，9场演出，2场比赛，2次大师课，3次快闪，21首中外歌曲（7种语言），开启了一次意义非凡的快乐之旅。 The fifty-five members of the Holloway Children’s…Continue Reading “Holloway Children’s Choir UK Tour 2019: tour diary”
The Holloway Children’s Choir’s two competition performances at Llangollen were broadcast live on Llangollen TV: Children’s Folk category: Children’s Folk Choirs | Corau Alaw Werin i Blant Junior Children’s Junior Children’s Choirs | Corau Plant Iau After performing nine times at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod, the choir began preparing for our Oxford concert on Monday…Continue Reading “Holloway Children’s Choir: Llangollen TV competition performances, Oxford and London Concerts (July 2019)”
The Holloway Children’s Choir toured the UK in July 2019. I founded the Holloway Children’s Choir in Tianjin, China, in January 2018. The choir aims to introduce Tianjin children to the European, and especially the British choral tradition both liturgical and secular, and to involve Chinese children in the joys of music-making and choir-singing. We…Continue Reading “Holloway Children’s Choir competes and performs at Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod (July 2019)”
On the penultimate day of 2018, the Holloway Children’s Choir held a truly excellent concert to a sell-out audience at the Cathay Future Concert Hall, Tianjin. To see the programme of pieces we sang, scroll down to the bottom of the post for the poster (mostly in Chinese). Bolstered by our success applying for the…Continue Reading “Holloway Children’s Choir Winter Concert”
In June 2018 I won joint second place in the Witold Szalonek International Composition Competition. Phasma music, headed up by contemporary music tour-de-force Iwona Glinka, have released a stunning studio recording of the finalists’ pieces on the Phasma Music Label. Here’s the cover, featuring the impressive 14th-Century St John’s Cathedral in Kwidzyn, where the competition…Continue Reading “Phasma Music CD Release”
(Photo: Mike Massaro) I have just begun a new collaboration with Peter Bennett of the Interaction and Graphics Research Group at Bristol University, and Robert Arbon and Alex Jones of the School of Chemistry. We are working to make visual and sonic representations of computational models of biomolecular dynamics. In turn, we hope to make…Continue Reading “Collaboration with Ligeti Quartet (Bristol University Jean Golding Institute Seed Corn Award): “Metastable Impressions””
I’m grateful to the inspiring Pan Jia Lin, Professor of Composition at Taiwan’s oldest university, the University of Taipei （台北市立大学）, for her invitation to give a lecture to the students of the musicology department. I had originally planned to give an adapted version of the lecture I previously gave in Zhejiang in May, but Professor…Continue Reading “University of Taipei, Department of Musicology visiting lecture: “Organic and Geometric Aspects of Musical Composition” (11th Dec. 2018)”
The recording for Sam Cave’s CD is all done now, and Metiér (a division of Divine Records) are due to release the disc early in 2019. I’m honoured that Sam has recorded my Guitar Sonata and Second Guitar Sonata to include on the disc; these are pieces which I wrote specially for Sam, and he’s…Continue Reading “Sam Cave forthcoming CD release on Metiér: Guitar Sonatas”
The Holloway Children’s Choir has had some fantastic news: we have been selected to compete in the Junior and Junior Folk competitions at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod next Summer! Info on the Eisteddfod can be found here: https://international-eisteddfod.co.uk/ I’m so proud of the children for this achievement, and I can’t wait to bring them to the…Continue Reading “Holloway Children’s Choir to Compete in the Llangollen International Eisteddfod 2019”
The Holloway Children’s Choir inaugural concert came after a term of very hard work from me and the children of the intermediate and advanced classes. They did a great job in spite of being slightly down on numbers (owing to my three week trip to the U.S., we had to organise the concert for…Continue Reading “Holloway Children’s Choir Summer Concert: Videos (July 2018)”
Amazing performance today at the Atlantic Music Festival of my piece Dances in Time and Vertical Space. You can watch the full performance here (solo violin: Nicholas Hatt): For Chinese users: http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMzc5ODg0Mjk4OA==.html I took some videos of the dress rehearsal yesterday: For Chinese users: http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMzcxMDcwNjIzMg==.html For Chinese users: http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMzcxMDcwNjI0NA==.html …Continue Reading “Atlantic Music Festival- Dances in Time and Vertical Space- quintet version world premiere (7th July 2018)”
It was an amazing 4 days at the 2018 Mise-En Festival. I met many imaginative, free-thinking, intelligent, witty and talented composers, all of us composing very different and distinctive art music. Moon Young Ha and Jordann Davis and the whole Ensemble Mise-En have worked extremely hard, especially on the last day’s 4-hour long Music Marathon. …Continue Reading “Mise-En Festival 2018 Music Marathon- World Premiere of “Crystal Images II” (June 2018)”
I finished my PhD at the University of Southampton in 2011, and passed the viva with minimal corrections in early 2012. It has been sitting on my computer (and in the Hartley Library at S’ton) all that time, and I thought I ought to put it up here, as it contains a lot of ideas…Continue Reading “PhD Portfolio and Commentary (2012)- download link”
My children’s choir has been going well this semester. I founded it in February after the Tianjin Grand Theatre’s Mulan Children’s Choir ceased to exist (see here: http://georgehollowaycomposer.com/?p=789), and the choir is going from strength to strength. I absolutely couldn’t have done it without Zhou Ting Ting, and it’s been a huge learning experience for…Continue Reading “Holloway Children’s Choir Summer Concert (July 2018)”
The Mise-En Festival 2018 website is up now: https://festival.mise-en.org/2018/index.html This contemporary music festival, run by an amazing team led by the energetic Korean composer Moon Young HA, is held annually at Mise-En Place, Bushwick, New York. Mise-En chose my proposal for a new work, along with twenty four other composers’ proposals and scores (out of…Continue Reading “Mise-En Festival 2018 Visiting Composer- Premiere of “Crystal Images II: Beijing Hutongs, Spring ’18””
The young, adventurous and talented Highfield Ensemble recently made a fantastic recording of my choral setting of a passage from Whitman’s Song of Myself. Sadly I couldn’t be there myself, but they were so sensitive to the score and detailed in their interpretation, that they didn’t seem to need my personal input at all. I can’t wait…Continue Reading “Highfield Ensemble recording of “I believe in you, my soul” SATB setting of Walt Whitman (Summer 2018)”
I received some pleasant news at the start of June, that my piece for wind quartet, Mysterious Future, won second prize in the Witold Szalonek International Composition Competition. The final, featuring 16 composers, took place on 5th June 2018 in Kwidzyn, Poland, with the pieces performed by Phasma Music. Mysterious Future is due to be recorded on Naxos Records,…Continue Reading “International Composition Prize: Second Place in the 2018 Witold Szalonek Composition Prize”
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMzcwNDg4OTM2MA==.html I met the precocious and astonishing Tian Jianan in 2012, and in 2013 wrote this little piece for her, Fantasia, which I’m very happy can finally receive its premiere in her Master’s Final Recital at the Central Conservatory of Music on Sunday 6th June 2018. Below is some information about Tian Jia Nan for Chinese…Continue Reading ““Fantasia” for accordion and violin, world premiere at Central Conservatory of Music 6th June 2018”
I recently had a superb experience down in Hangzhou, lecturing on my music at the very new and extraordinarily-equipped Zhejiang Conservatory of Music. It’s one of two new Conservatories that have opened in China in just the last two years, the other being Harbin up in the North East. https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/F-vMzsNrh86bKrQg26H1LQ
Some of you will already know that I’ve recently set up my own children’s choir in Tianjin, the Holloway Children’s Choir. We had our first rehearsals this weekend. Most of my students from the now defunct Mulan have come with me on this new journey! I’m looking forward to teaching them Sumer is icumen in,…Continue Reading “Holloway Children’s Choir- inaugural rehearsals (March 2018)”
I’m looking forward to the release of Sam Cave’s CD, which will feature both of my guitar sonatas, alongside Murail’s Tellur, Fox’s Chile and Radulescu’s Subconscious Wave, all of which are possibly world premiere recordings. Sam has described this disc as the “cumulative expression of the last ten years of my guitar playing”, and I am very proud that my…Continue Reading “Recording session with Sam Cave: Guitar Sonata”
I’ve been working with the talented Zheng Yang for almost two years now; I have given her so many drafts of this piece! With all the struggles to make my musical ideas playable on the sheng, complete with meticulously bar-by-bar solving of near intractable fingering problems, we’re nearing the full premiere of “Sculpture in Melody”…Continue Reading “Sculpture in Melody for traditional solo sheng 《线性雕塑》，为传统笙而作(2015-6) – forthcoming premiere taster!”
In November/December 2017 I was honoured to visit Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music, and rehearse my piece for cello and piano, Novella (Chapter One) with Fang Yijia and Li Xinyuan. They premiered the work on the 1st December, in what was one of the most enjoyable and awe-inspiring concerts I’ve ever seen (check out the…Continue Reading “Novella (Chapter One) for cello and piano (Premiere, Dec. 2017)”
Thanks to Peter Wiegold for giving me the opportunity to talk at Brunel. It was a great afternoon!
Listen to Colin Still’s excellent recording of Peter and Mihailo’s gorgeous performance (click on the link to hear two other performances of this piece): http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMzQwMzEwNzQ0MA==.html?spm=a2hzp.8253869.0.0
In January 2018, Tianjin International TV made a documentary about my life and work as composer, conductor and teacher in Tianjin. 在中国的朋友们，欢迎你们打开以下的链接观看天津国际频道Hello!天津的纪录片： http://tv.cntv.cn/video/VSET100183082927/35c76b659ddb4ad294aa3d03e454801f?from=timeline&isappinstalled=0 The full documentary: I’ve made a shorter edited version: Unfortunately it’s in Chinese! Apologies to my non-Chinese-speaking friends, but I encourage you to take a look anyway, as it’s beautifully shot!
You can see the documentary Tianjin International TV made about my rehearsals with the delightful Mulan Children’s Choir on this project here: Tianjin International TV: Hello! Tianjin documentary http://georgehollowaycomposer.com/?p=521 July 2018: Update I’ve got the videos of the three performances up online, you can see them here: For people in China, youku links below: http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMzcwNDY1OTk4NA==.html…Continue Reading “Opera for Children’s Choir: Cao Chong Weighs the Elephant 童声歌剧：曹冲称象 （2017）”
This piece was commissioned by French-Chinese composer Qigang Chen, whose Gong Geng college runs a Summer camp for rural children to study music with superb teachers and perform with wonderful players. The college is situated in the remote Zhejiang countryside–so remote, that one can only access it by boat. I have been lucky and privileged…Continue Reading “Pied Beauty (2017) children’s choir and string orchestra”
My beloved Mulan Children’s Choir. Rachmaninoff Glorious Forever Chen Yi A Ma Lei Hou, Ga Da Mei Lin (from Mountain Songs) Franck, Panis Angelicus Mozart, Ave Verum Yang Hong Nian (arr.), Jasmine Flower 杨鸿年（编） 茉莉花 Russian Song (composer unknown) Don’t be upset! (Russian song)
This is, to my mind, one of the most important educational contributions I’ve made at the Tianjin Conservatory of Music: coaching and rehearsing this piece was a transformative learning experience for the thirteen students that premiered the piece. I personally invested 60 or more hours in rehearsing Mosaic, from one-to-one coaching, to sectionals and full rehearsals. …Continue Reading “Mosaic (2017) for 13 instruments”
This piece for flexible ensemble has had many performances over the years. I’ve posted two videos of performances below, and a bandcamp link where you can hear the audio of what I think was the world premiere, by CoMA South. http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMzE2NDA0NDU2NA==.html?spm=a2hzp.8253869.0.0 http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMzE2NDA0MzQ3Mg==.html?spm=a2hzp.8253869.0.0
For No One, To No One was first performed by David Alberman at the SPNM solo spotlights concert, Wapping Hydraulic Power Station, London, UK, 20th March 2007. The title was prompted by composer and performer Ignacio Agrimbau, who suggested I write a piece without dedication, and which did not purport to convey extra-musical meaning. The…Continue Reading “For No One, To No One (2006-7) solo violin”
In October 2016 I organised a mini-festival, inviting the Kreutzer Quartet to come and perform, teach, lecture and workshop students works. It was a wonderful week, and garnered enthusiastic feedback from the Tianjin students. http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMzE2NDA0ODE4NA==.html?spm=a2hzp.8253869.0.0 While they were in Tianjin, I was lucky enough to have a new piece, Tullochgorm, premiered in their second concert. This…Continue Reading “Kreutzer Quartet in Tianjin: Tullochgorm (2016) for String Quartet”
I worked with the director Cao Jing on her production of Sarah Kane’s 4.48 Psychosis in Summer 2015. I was so impressed by her imagination and talent, I was clear that I wanted to work with her on an improvised performance involving music, dance and theatre. This eventually became Ling, which we performed (each time utterly different)…Continue Reading “Ling 《灵》Improvised music, theatre and dance performance (2015/6)”
This piece, commissioned by the Druskomanija Festival in Lithuania, presents a collage of rarefied sound images. The “images” are static textures in constant flux, combinations of looping, contrasting material in different instruments. Each “image” was paired with fixed shots of natural phenomena, such as wind, waves or clouds moving across the sky (reflected in the…Continue Reading “Crystal Images (Cardigan Bay, Summer 2015)- for 9 instruments and video projection”
I worked on Chen Yi’s choral works with students from the composition, piano and Chinese vocal departments. We all really enjoyed learning and performing these pieces.
I worked on the musical accompaniment for this Chinese language production of Sarah Kane’s 4.48 Psychosis in Summer 2015. I composed some new music for ‘cello/multi-tracked ‘cello, as well as using some of my other pieces. I wrote the ‘cello pieces as canons, first recording a single voice and later overlaying copies of the same recording to…Continue Reading “Theatre Music for Sarah Kane 4.48 Psychosis 萨拉·凯恩：4.48精神崩溃配乐”
I wrote this piece for 13 performers (all Chinese instruments, including 2 percussionists playing Chinese percussion) for the TJCM 2015 May Music Festival. It was premiered by the Fan Yin Chinese instrument ensemble. The suona player plays from three different positions, at first from behind the audience, then in the middle of the audience, and…Continue Reading “Iceflow IV (2014) for Chinese instrument ensemble (13 players)”
AANMI premiered Dances in Time and Vertical Space in the concert hall of the Central Conservatory of Music on 25th May 2015, as part of the Beijing Modern Music Festival. This piece is a kind of baroque dance suite, with the different dances superimposed upon each other in different mensurations and, as the piece progresses,…Continue Reading “Dances in Time and Vertical Space (2015) for solo violin and six instruments”
For Eight Accordions, spatially arranged around the audience. I wrote this piece between Jan 2012 and March 2014, in honour of my friend Nicolai Leski’s two children, Vincenz and Greta. The players are ranged around the audience in 8 evenly distributed positions, the aim being that opposing performers can “transmit” the sound from one side…Continue Reading “Vincenz und Greta (2012-14) for 8 accordions”
My two guitar sonatas were both written for and dedicated to Sam Cave. Thanks to Sam, these two pieces have become my most often performed compositions! Sam is preparing a professional recording of both sonatas, which I eagerly await. In the meantime, I post here the videos of Sam’s earlier performances (from his visit to…Continue Reading “Guitar Sonatas 1&2”
Dedicated to my mother. Performance in Southampton, 2012.
This vocal work sets the poetry of Li Po (Li Bai) in Chinese. The world premiere performance from my “Music for Voices” composer portrait concert in Southampton in 2012, was sung by English performers, and I did my best to coach them in the mandarin pronunciation (although of course Li Po’s own pronunciation is nothing…Continue Reading “Brief Journey (2007) for soprano, alto, erhu (or violin) and piano”
This wonderful song cycle for soprano and chamber ensemble by the American composer Lawrence Moss sets Chinese poetry in English translation. http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMzE2NDU1MzQ1Mg==.html?spm=a2hzp.8253869.0.0
Setting of P.B. Shelley’s poem of the same name. During the first of my two years in Beijing (2012-3), I did not have many opportunities to make music. I was in the wilderness somewhat with my Chinese language learning. This was a welcome opportunity to perform my own music, although it was admittedly terrifying playing…Continue Reading “Mutability (2013) for solo soprano and piano”
Earthly Branches won a prize in the 2013 Beijing Modern Music Festival’s “Orchestral Composition Grand Prix” (I came third), and the piece was premiered in Beijing Concert Hall by Qingdao Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Zhang Guoyong. I added the following text to the inside page of the score for Earthly Branches. This reflects how I felt…Continue Reading “Earthly Branches (2012-3) for large orchestra”
This song cycle was written for, and premiered by soprano Ruth Hopkins. A Spark Lights the Void Within was written in memory of Lydia Press. I wrote the texts of the three recitatives in the wake of Lydia’s passing away, and later chose the Cavafy and Shelley poems to accompany my own. Southampton University Strings premiered…Continue Reading “A Spark Lights the Void Within (2009) for soprano and string orchestra (or piano and double bass)”
My programme note on this piece from 2012: Ondas (“Waves”) sets a love poem by Federico Garcia Lorca. I was interested in the image of the “concentric waves” which the speaker says are like the waves in his heart when his beloved speaks. I wrote a sort of circular melody (the same melody, in fact…Continue Reading “Ondas (2006-7) for solo soprano”
Bird Songs (2007-9) “Fifty-Nine Swans” (Yeats) “Black Rook in Rainy Weather” (Plath) “The Hierarchies of Sound” (Evans) I’ve uploaded 3 performances of my song cycle for mezzo and piano, “Bird Songs”. Each time working on this song cycle from scratch with a different singer was extraordinarily fun, and a tremendous challenge and learning experience. I…Continue Reading “Bird Songs (2007-9) song cycle for mezzo-soprano and piano”
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMzE2NDE1ODcwMA==.html?spm=a2hzp.8253869.0.0 Program Note i. Chanson ii. Epitaphium The “Two Pieces for Violin and Piano” are actually two sections that together form one complete piece. In the first, the piano plays a systematically accelerating and decelerating sequence of rhythms, presenting a sequence of pitches based around the interval of a minor sixth; the violin…Continue Reading “Two Pieces for Violin and Piano (2008/10)”
In my guise as tenor and opera performer, from 2010/2011:
I wrote this piece for the Lithuanian Oboe Quartet, with an offstage bassoon appearing late in the piece! It was premiered on the 20th May 2012 in Holy Trinity Church, Auletikos, Lithuania, as part of the Druskomanija international contemporary music fesitval. There is a version for four oboes and bassoon; this alternative version (and the…Continue Reading “Druskininkanonas (2011) for double reed quintet”
Meltwater (2009-2011) was written jointly for Finchley Chamber Choir and Finchley Chamber Orchestra, as part of the 2009-2010 Adopt a Composer scheme, with the world premiere in 2011. I began the piece during my exchange trip to National Taiwan University, Taipei, and finished it on my return to the UK, variously finishing sections…Continue Reading “Meltwater (2009-2011) for choir and orchestra”
I wrote this piece originally for the Southampton University Strings in 2007-8. I remember clearly finishing the manuscript at my parents’ house in Mwnt, Ceredigion, at around 10pm on New Year’s Eve of 2007. The name comes from an Ambrosian plainsong, “media vita in morte sumus”, “in the midst of life we are in…Continue Reading “Media Vita (2007-8) for string orchestra”
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMzE2NDQ0MDcwNA==.html?spm=a2hzp.8253869.0.0 University of Southampton “New Works Festival” 2010, University of Southampton Contemporary Music Group, cond. George Holloway. This piece formed the basis for my expansion and re-imagining of Iceflow IV.
Originalmelodie reflects upon lyricism in music, and upon the boundary between independent melodic line/contrapuntal ‘voice’ and figuration/accompaniment. It is also a tapestry of reminiscences, visiting Gustav Mahler, Charles Ives, Kaikhosru Sorabji, Ferruccio Busoni, traditional Taiwanese song, Jean Barraqué, Brian Ferneyhough and Felix Mendelssohn; only the last of these is quoted directly, whose Songs without Words were first published in London as Original Melodies for…Continue Reading “Originalemelodie (2010) for solo piano”
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Kyrie, eleison. Kyrie, eleison. Kyrie, eleison. Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Christe, eleison. Christe, eleison. Christe, eleison. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. LORY be to God on high. And in earth peace towards men of good will….Continue Reading “Mass of St Michael (2010) SATB, organ and cello”
Premiere performance of the version for piano quartet: http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMzE2NDAzOTczMg==.html?spm=a2hzp.8253869.0.0 A later, distinctive interpretation from the U.S.A.: International Composers’ Collective, U.S.A. branch, Cleveland, Ohio 2011 《开明的演说》（2007/2009）- 国际作曲家协会美国分部
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMzE2NDA2MjA3Ng==.html?spm=a2hzp.8253869.0.0 Premiered by Richard Jones at the Composer Portrait Concert, Turner Sims concert hall, Southampton 2012.
Oxonia, performed by Music Visualisation Laboratory, Profsajungu Rumai, Vilnius, Lithuania, 18th September 2009, as part of the Vilnius European City of Culture 2009. http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMzE2NDE2Nzc0MA==.html?spm=a2hzp.8253869.0.0
This recording is Julian Jacobsen’s intensely expressive and exacting performance from 2007 (Turner Sims Concert Hall). This was the first piece I completed during my Masters study with Michael Finnissy; it was on the basis of this piece that I was chosen for the SPNM Shortlist (2006-9). The final form of the piece was…Continue Reading “Selected “early” works”