⟪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 4 2024)

  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 4 2024)”

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)”

Hook for solo guzheng performed at 2023 Taipei International New Music Festival (Oct ’23)

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)”

Keynote Lecture at 23rd International Music Theory Conference, LMTA

  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”

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)

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)”

《貉獠之歌》 Songs of the Raccoon Dogs (Apr. ’23)

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 啊伊都那噯唷啊伊都無尾溜 草蜢弄雞公 啊 雞公披搏跳 少年阿兄伊都人清秀 做陣一對伊都像鴛鴦 講話散步伊都好遊賞 配著老兄伊都心帶憂 啊伊都那噯唷啊伊都心帶憂…Continue Reading “《貉獠之歌》 Songs of the Raccoon Dogs (Apr. ’23)”

Crossover Music Theatre incidental music “flourishing” 樂舞串流:《欣欣向榮》(Dec. ’22)

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)”

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)

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)”

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

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″

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)”

Nanhua University: Symposium of New Works and Research into Contemporary Composers “Avant-Garde and Experimental Creative Considerations in Art Music” 2021.7.3

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″

Michael Finnissy Keynote Address at Symposium

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’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)”

Ligeti Quartet perform “Metastable” at Bristol University (Metastable Impressions Project, May 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)”

Holloway Children’s Choir: Llangollen TV competition performances, Oxford and London Concerts (July 2019)

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)”

Holloway Children’s Choir competes and performs at Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod (July 2019)

(Updated with photos and video links) The Holloway Children’s Choir toured the UK in July 2019.  We performed at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod from 2nd-5th July (including a performance at Chester Storyhouse on the 4th).  I founded the Holloway Children’s Choir in Tianjin, China, in January 2018.  The choir aims to introduce Tianjin children to…Continue Reading “Holloway Children’s Choir competes and performs at Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod (July 2019)”

Collaboration with Ligeti Quartet (Bristol University Jean Golding Institute Seed Corn Award): “Metastable Impressions”

(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””

Atlantic Music Festival- Dances in Time and Vertical Space- quintet version world premiere (7th 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)”

Mise-En Festival 2018 Music Marathon- World Premiere of “Crystal Images II” (June 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)”

Highfield Ensemble recording of “I believe in you, my soul” SATB setting of Walt Whitman (Summer 2018)

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)”

Sculpture in Melody for traditional solo sheng 《线性雕塑》,为传统笙而作(2015-6) – forthcoming premiere taster!

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 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!

Opera for Children’s Choir: Cao Chong Weighs the Elephant 童声歌剧:曹冲称象 (2017)

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)”

Pied Beauty (2017) children’s choir and string orchestra

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”

Mosaic (2017) for 13 instruments

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”

The Poise Between Notes and Noise (2008) for flexible ensemble

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            

Kreutzer Quartet in Tianjin: Tullochgorm (2016) for String Quartet

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”

Ling 《灵》Improvised music, theatre and dance performance (2015/6)

  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 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)”

Dances in Time and Vertical Space (2015) for solo violin and six instruments

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”

Vincenz und Greta (2012-14) for 8 accordions

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”

Brief Journey (2007) for soprano, alto, erhu (or violin) and piano

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”

Bird Songs (2007-9) song cycle for mezzo-soprano and piano

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”

Two Pieces for Violin and Piano (2008/10)

  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)”

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      

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    

Welcome

Welcome to the website of composer, conductor and educator George Holloway. 歡迎大家訪問英國作曲家、指揮和大學教授盧長劍(George Holloway)的個人網站。 George Holloway is assistant professor in the department of ethnomusicology at Nanhua University, Taiwan. He was formerly Dean of Composition at Tianjin Conservatory of Music in China, the first Westerner to be head of department in a Chinese conservatory. George has also…Continue Reading “Welcome”