9th August – Dominique le Gendre
UK based composer Dominique Le Gendre was born in Trinidad where she lived until the age of 19, at which point she left to study music in Paris. She trained as a classical guitarist with Ramon de Herrera who encouraged her to acknowledge her unique identity as a Caribbean musician – an identity which has evolved to become an integral part of her musical language.
This language has served her as she wrote extensively for theatre, BBC radio drama, film, television and dance over the 20 years that she has been living in London. She wrote and produced all the music for Arkangel’s recordings of The Complete Shakespeare directed by Clive Brill. Since the appearance of her 15 minute Opera “Bird Of Night” at the Linbury theatre as part of NITRO AT THE OPERA in November 2003, she was named Associate artist of the Royal Opera House. Her full-length opera, “Bird of Night” directed by Irina Brown, was commissioned by the ROH and premiered in October of 2006.
Her chamber works have been commissioned and performed by The ROH chamber soloists, The Philharmonia Orchestra, The Manning Camerata and Lontano Orchestra.
She is currently Associate Artist with the Manning Camerata led by ROH concertmaster, Peter Manning Their 1st major collaboration, a Dramma per Musica of Seamus Heaney’s “The Burial at Thebes”, to be directed by Derek Walcott, will premiere in the autumn of 2008 at Liverpool8.
10th August – Helen Chadwick
Helen Chadwick…… Solo Songs
Helen composes for unaccompanied voices, opera, radio, and theatre. Tonight is a rare opportunity to hear some her solo songs, including song stories and settings of texts from Persia, Russia, and beyond.
Helen Chadwick’s song/theatre/story performances have toured in Europe and the Americas. She has recorded six solo albums and composed for Tête à Tête, the RSC, English Touring Opera, Welsh National Opera, The Royal Court, the National Theatre, and for Radio drama. Helen has worked on projects with DV8, Rambert and Complicité, and has sung in projects composed by Meredith Monk and Orlando Gough. She is in development for a song theatre performance for the Linbury for May 2008 and a project with public artist Martin Firrell.
11th August – Lucy Shaw & friends
Lucy plays with groups such as Tête à Tête, Opus 20, Sound Collective and Composers Ensemble exploring new music. She was a member of the Gogmagogs, a theatre music company, for 7 years. She crosses over to play bass guitar in jazz and more popular music with the likes of Katie Melua and Glenn Tilbrook. She is also involved with music education projects working with Create and the LSO.
12th August – CHROMA
Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2007, CHROMA is a dynamic, critically acclaimed chamber ensemble featuring some of Britain’s most outstanding musicians, known for the passion it brings to contemporary works, its vivid renderings of classic pieces and its diverse programme of education work.
Following its debut at the Purcell Room CHROMA has become most closely associated with the performance of contemporary music and has forged close links with many prominent British composers through an extensive series of premières and collaborations.
Recent projects have included the world premières of Julian Grant’s “Odysseus Unwound” (libretto by Hattie Naylor) with Tête à Tête, for whom CHROMA is Associate Ensemble, and Lantern Dance Company’s new work, “Tela/Bride”, written by CHROMA’s Marcus Barcham-Stevens, premièred by Lantern and CHROMA at Ely Cathedral.
16th August – Jean-Philippe Calvin and Stefan Tiedje
Soundscapes, De-Construction, Cosmic Dimension
Live electronic music and voice treatment
With the involvement of the audience. Exploring sound and exploding words. Meditative Verbal Mantra for the evening…
Jean-Philippe Calvin
Composer and conductor Jean Philippe Calvin was born in 1974. He studied at the University of Hartford-Hartt Scholl in Connecticut USA, CCMIX and IRCAM in Paris. His teachers included Robert Carl, Ingram Marshall, Sir Michael Tippet and Xenakis in composition, Harold Farbermann and Bernard Haitink in conducting.
Jean Philippe Calvin has been commissioned as a composer by Columbia University (1997), Rockefeller Foundation & Hartford Seminary [Omega, 1999], Centre Cinématographiques (2000), University of Osaka (Timeless Clocks, 2003). By SACEM and CCMIX (Miserere Nobis, 2004), Robert Black and Bang on a Can All Stars (Pitch Black, 2005). Kiev Philarmonic [Symphonic Dances, 2005-06]. He won several national and international prizes in composition such as Métaboles prize or the International Underwater Image & Sound Festival in Antibes.
Since 2003 he is a professor and an academic member of the Centre de Création Musicale Iannis Xenakis (CCMIX) in Paris where he works with Gérard Pape and Stefan Tiedje.
Jean Philippe Calvin is a composer and conductor in residence at the Royal Opera House Opera Genesis, Covent Garden since 2005 and Genesis Foundation since July 2007. His works are published by Editions Billaudot in Paris.
Stefan Tiedje
Born 1956 in Stuttgart. Two children. Since 1984 research on algorithmic Composition. Since 1986 international concerts with computer controlled soundgeneration. A solo CD “polyrische Variationen” has been released by Badland Records. Silberner Amadeus at “Musik Kreativ” 1993. Since September 2003 working at CCMIX close to Paris.
17th August – Matt Rogers and Chris Mayo
Matt Rogers was born in Kent, Matthew studied composition with Dr. Gordon McPherson at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. Since graduating in 2001 he has written for a diverse range of ensembles including the Britten Sinfonia, members of the London Sinfonietta and the London Symphony Orchestra.
He works regularly with Aldeburgh Music, leading workshops and large scale composition projects for children and young adults of various abilities and backgrounds, creating performance pieces through commitment to a truly collaborative process.
As well as a prolific output of acoustic concert music, Matthew continues to explore electronics with the outfits ‘ventress electronium’ and ‘hereby a scorecard’.
Canadian composer Christopher Mayo was the recipient of the 2005 Royal Philharmonic Society Composition prize. As a result of this he was commissioned to write /passed the last river / for Michael Collins and the Dante String Quartet, which was premiered at the 2006 Cheltenham Festival and broadcast on BBC Radio 3. His work /Nineteen Frames / has received a Serge Garant Award in the 2005 SOCAN Awards for Young Composers, was selected in the Continuum Contemporary Music call for works, and has been performed in the UK (Composers Ensemble) and USA (Music06 Festival). Christopher has also been awarded the Richard Sadlier Prize, the William Erving Fairclough Scholarship, and the Glenn Gould Composition Award. Christopher is also a member of the Camberwell Composers’ Collective.
Born in Toronto in 1980, Christopher studied at the University of Toronto earning an Honours Bachelor of Music degree. He relocated to London in 2003, where he obtained a Master of Music in Composition from the Royal College of Music studying with Julian Anderson. In 2006 Christopher began doctoral studies at the Royal Academy of Music with Philip Cashian.
18th August – Errollyn Wallen
Born in Belize, Errollyn Wallen gave up her training at the Dance Theater of Harlem to study composition at the Universities of London and Cambridge. She founded her own Ensemble X and its motto, “We don’t break down barriers in music… we don’t see any,” reflects her genuine, free-spirited approach and eclectic musicianship.
Errollyn Wallen’s song Daedalus appears alongside songs by Björk, Sting, Elvis Costello and Meredith Monk on the Brodsky Quartet’s recent CD Moodswings. The two solo albums Meet Me at Harold Moores and Errollyn feature her songs in her own voice/piano performance and in collaboration with outstanding jazz artists. Her multi-media show Jordan Town, a modern day song cycle with dance and film, was a sell-out hit at the Edinburgh Festival.
Errollyn Wallen’s latest opera The Silent Twins about the love-hate relationship of black twin girls with a libretto by April de Angelis was commissioned by Almeida Opera and first performed in July 2007. The Royal Opera House and Nitro commissioned the opera Another America: Earth, premièred in November 2003 at the Linbury Theatre and revived in 2005, including a BBC television broadcast. Another America: Fire was commissioned by Push and first seen at Sadler’s Wells in September 2004.
Colin Currie premièred her Concerto for Percussion and Orchestra for the Young Musician of the Year Award in 1994; this piece was selected by the British Council to represent the UK in the opening concert of the Cervantino Festival in Mexico in October 2006. Spirit Symphony won a British Composer Awards in 2005 and the Philharmonia Orchestra premièred Mighty Riverto commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Abolition of Slavery in February 2007. Errollyn continues her collaboration as Composer in Association with the Orchestra of the Swan with a new Cello Concerto a Concerto Grosso both to be premièred in 2008.
Errollyn Wallen was awarded an MBE for her services to music in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list in June 2007.
19th August – Luke Pickett with Matt Sharp
A partnership formed specially for this performance
Luke Pickett is a massive talent well worth keeping an eye on. Born, bred and based in the open space of Hertfordshire, he has created his own brand of refined, passionate acoustic music. At only twenty years young, Luke has already been writing songs for over five years, citing the likes of The Police, Dashboard Confessional, Incubus and Prince amongst others, as influences.
When a voice like Luke Pickett’s comes along, it’s hard to ignore. So it only seems right that his angelic vocals should accompany such beautiful and passionate music. Luke has his own take on acoustic music, his sole intention being to captivate the listener with his voice, passionate lyrics and emotive performance.
Since The Canvas Room release of his first EP ‘For Every Petal Lost: Another Gained’, Luke Pickett has been making serious headway, winning fans in clubs all over England and across the internet. Luke has grown a massive, loyal army of supporters from all over the world through his MySpace site, making him one of the top acoustic artists on the famous networking portal.
Luke Pickett is currently in the studio recording his debut album and has just completed the new “Blood Money EP” due to be released in the UK later this summer. Luke will be touring the UK in August and September to support its release and to reach out to his growing number of fans and supporters.
Matthew Sharp
Following studies at the Koln Musikhochschule (cello – Boris Pergamenschilow), Trinity College, Cambridge and in Stockholm (voice – Ulla Blom), Matthew has performed with the RPO, LPO, Opera North (Papageno) and Almeida Opera, at major venues and festivals in Africa, Australia, Brazil, Europe, the Gulf, India, North America and Russia, recorded for Sony, Naxos and Avie, appeared in recital at Wigmore Hall, the South Bank, Salle Gaveau and Stockholm’s Musikmuseet and broadcast widely on TV and Radio.
Amongst numerous premieres and cross-disciplinary collaborations with leading artists, he has created the title roles in John Tavener’s Petra and The Fool, and Opera North’s The Pied Piper (Pearson/Buckler), improvised and recorded with Iain Ballamy, Tarun Bhattacharya, Crispian Mills, Mike Westbrook, Gruff Rhys and Sabreen, and is perhaps the only musician to have appeared at the major London venues as both solo cellist and solo vocalist.
23rd August – Jason Yarde
Composer, arranger, producer, MD and saxophonist Yarde writes across a variety of styles and media (jazz, classical, hip-hop, broken beats, soul, and reggae). Jason participated in the 2006, LSO’s Discovery Panufnik Young Composers Scheme and is now a LSO Sound Adventure Artist.
24th August – Robert Fokkens – Pulse
Pulse was formed in 2006 to explore politically- and socially-minded – and occasionally whimsical – contemporary song in a cabaret context by singer Sarah Dacey and composer Rob Fokkens. Presenting an archaeology of this tradition, they perform earlier songs by the likes of Satie, Eisler and Weill alongside more recent pieces by Laurence Crane, Geoff Hannan and Rob Fokkens.
Sarah Dacey studied music at the University of York and the Royal Academy of Music, where she won numerous awards. In addition to her extensive experience with leading choirs and ensembles around the UK, Sarah is a member of the exciting, innovative vocal trio juice.
Rob Fokkens is a South African composer based in London. His work is played regularly across the UK and in South Africa, and he collaborates frequently with some of the most interesting and energetic young British ensembles and musicians, including Darragh Morgan and Mary Dullea, Kosmos, Oliver Coates, rarescale and juice.
25th August – Richard Thomas and friends
Richard Thomas is a musician, writer, and comedy actor. He is best known for composing and scoring the award-winning Jerry Springer – The Opera with Stewart Lee. Thomas collected the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical Score in 2004.
Richard Thomas’s comedy career began in 1987, doing a musical act on keyboards. In 2000, he wrote and performed a one-act opera called Tourette’s Diva with four actors, which aired at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Thomas had the idea for an opera based on Jerry Springer at this time, and wrote it over the next two years, chiefly in workshops at Battersea Arts Centre. Thomas would offer a ‘Beer for an Idea’, where any audience members submitting a good idea would be rewarded with a can of Fosters (and poor ideas with a supermarket own brand).
After a number of small scale performances of the first act, which was in much the same shape as it remains today, the second act (where the characters descend into Hell) was vague and unformed. Thomas brought his friend Stewart Lee in to assist with the writing. Six months later, the opera was in a far more recognisable state, and was snapped up by the National Theatre.
Thomas has also worked on BBC comedy shows such as Attention Scum and This Morning With Richard Not Judy. Starting on 25 February 2007, BBC Two aired his latest series, Kombat Opera, comprising five standalone musical parodies of well-known television programmes
26th August – The Milverson Quintet featuring Michael Henry
Michael Henry: Composer and Vocalist
This a capella quintet will be singing 4 “Love Jams”, original compositions specially compiled for the festival.
Michael studied composition and clarinet at the Royal College of Music from 1981 to 1985 and has been awarded the Horowitz, Stanford and Cornelius Cardew prizes.
His choral piece Stand Part 1 wasperformed by vocal ensemble the Shout as part of the BBC Proms 2006 season.
Other recent compositions include Refractions for clarinet quartet and percussion, commissioned by the Colorado based ensemble Solaris and premiered in San Diego, California in March 2007.
Michael’s career as a singer, ranging from Glyndebourne to Glastonbury, has proved an invaluable aid towards his development in operatic and vocal composition. He was one of six collaborative composers for Tête-à-Tête’s 2004 production of the opera “Family Matters” and has been a composition and vocal facilitator for Almeida Projects 2007.
Singing experiences include: Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Chrissy Hynde, Billy Bragg, Ray Charles, Roy Orbison, Pet Shop Boys, Flying Pickets, Beach Boys, Lisa Stansfield, Jose Carreras, Glyndebourne, Royal Opera House, English National Opera, Ensemble Modern, the London Sinfonietta and the Shout.
The Milverson Quintet are: Adey Grummet, Melanie Pappenheim, Michael Henry, Greg Wain and Jonathan Williams.
All the compositions in “Love Jams” are by Michael Henry www.milversonmusic.com