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On the Desk

Figures Outside a Dacha, with Sunrise for solo piano, an extended work for Nicolas Hodges, drawing on the iconic dream sequences from Tarkovsky's Nostalghia. The pre-compositional plans for this piece gave birth to a series of shorter Studies for Figures Outside a Dacha, which are embedded into the fabric of the larger piece, as well as performable separately.  

In Development

Dürerschleifen, a series of eight interlocking "chamber concertos" for ensemble with electronics based on Sigmar Polke's extraordinary Schleifenbilder series. Designed as a modular work, the solo parts will be performable in isolation with and without electronics, with each section of the piece performable as a standalone concerto, as well as in a full performance of the whole work projected at around 60 minutes duration. 

Chronological Order

Kaleidoscopic Negatives (2006) 16’

Piano and Orchestra

Instrumentation: 3(II=AFl, III=Picc).2.CA.3(I=EbCl, III=BCl).3(III=Cbsn) / 4.3.3.1 / Timp(5).3Perc (Glock, Xylo, Crot, Mar, Vib, SD, BD, SusCymb, T-tam, Fishing Reel, Ratchet, Whip, 4Cowbells, Lion’s Roar, 5 TBlks, Claves, Drkit (Pedal BD, 2 T-toms, Floor Tom, Chinese Cymb, SD, Hi-hat)) / Hp / Solo Pno / Strings

Première: 18th January 2006, Haden Freeman Concert Hall, Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester; David Horne (Pno), RNCM Symphony Orchestra, Mark Heron (Cond.)

 

Mangled Snarl (2007) 5’

Euphonium, Piano

Première: 17th June 2007, Haden Freeman Concert Hall, Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester; Aaron Tindall (Euph), Jonathan Scott (Pno)

Written for the RNCM’s Gold Medal Weekend

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Microscopic Negatives (2007) 10’

String Quartet (2Vln, Vla, Vc)

Première: 16th February 2008, Jerwood Hall, LSO St Luke’s, London; Arditti Quartet

 

Elusive Tangibility II: firelife (2008) 6’

Cl, Vln, Vla, Vc

World Première: 3rd November 2012, Casa della Musica, Parma; Ensemble Recherche

UK Première: 23rd November 2017, Phipps Hall, University of Huddersfield; Explore Ensemble

 

Elusive Tangibility V: Zugunruhe (2008) 6’

1(+AFl).1.1.BCl.1. / 2.1.1.0 / 2Perc (Xylo, Crot, Vib, Almglocken, 2Chinese Opera Gongs, Holzkante, ChineseCymb, BD) / Hp / Pno / Strings (1.1.1.1.1)

Première: 30th April 2008, Royal Festival Hall, SouthBank Centre, London; London Philharmonic Orchestra, Clement Power (Cond.)

 

Exotic Vapour (2008) 3’30”

Piano Solo

Première: 9th October 2018; Morat Institut, Freiburg; Klaus Steffes-Holländer

 

Elusive Tangibility IV: 月見 (Tsukimi) (2008) 10’30”

1(=AFl).0.1(=BCl).1 / 0.0.0.0 / 2Perc (Vib, Almglocken, Tuned Gongs, 2Chinese Opera Gongs, Holzkante, 5TBl, 2SD, BD) / Mezzo-Soprano Solo / Pno / Strings (1.1.1.1.0)

World Première: 15th May 2009, Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall, Royal College of Music, London. RCM New Perspectives Ensemble; Emilie Alford (M-S), Tim Lines (Cond.)

Russian Première: 9th June 2009, Rachmaninov Concert Hall, Tchaikovsky Conservatory, Moscow. Studio for New Music Ensemble; Ekameruna Kichigina (M-S), Igor Dronov (Cond.)

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Halation (2010) 3’30"

Viola d'amore sola

Première: TBA

 

Elusive Tangibility III: Clandestine Haze (2011) 8’

AFl(+BFl) BCl(+CbCl), Tbn, 1Perc(Xylo, Vib, Almglocken, SplCym, MedCym, LgeCym, ChCym, Gongs, Opera Gongs, 2TBl, LogDrum(4pitch), Holzkante), Vla, Vc

World Première: 24th May 2011, Cuvilliès Theatre, Munich; Ensemble Recherche

UK Première: 5th November 2011, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, London; London Sinfonietta, Martyn Brabbins (Cond.)

Russian Première: 13th February 2020, Rakhmaninov Hall, Tchaikovsky Conservatory, Moscow; Studio for New Music, Igor Dronov (Cond.)

Commissioned by the Ernst von Siemens Musikstiftung

 

Schattenwanderer (2011) 7’

Part 5 of The Navidson Record

Cl Solo, Fl, Hn, Tbn, Hp, Vln, Vc, Cb

Première: 9th June 2011, Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London; Mark van de Wiel (Cl.), Members of the Philharmonia Orchestra, Clark Rundell (Cond.)

Commissioned by the Royal Philharmonic Society for the Philharmonia Orchestra’s 2011 Music of Today Series

 

Escher’s Pharmacy (2011) 12’30”

Part 3 of The Navidson Record

AFl, BOb, Cl, Pno, Vln, Vla, Vc

World Première: 20th November 2011, St Paul’s Hall, Huddersfield; Ensemble Recherche

German Première: 16th November 2012, Morat Institut, Freiburg; Ensemble Recherche

Commissioned by Ensemble Recherche for the 2011 Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival

 

Katabasis (2012) 6’

Part 1 of The Navidson Record

Cl(+EbCl, BCl), Vln(+Vla), Vc, Pno w/ Assistant

Première: 19th March 2012, The Forge, London; The Mercury Quartet

Commissioned by the Mercury Quartet for their RADAR Series at The Forge, Camden

 

Three Rivers from The Navidson Record (2012) 7’

Parts 2, 4, and 6 of The Navidson Record

String Quartet (2Vln, Vla, Vc)

Première: 15th July 2012, Orangerie, Darmstadt; Arditti Quartet

Commissioned by the Hepner Foundation for the Arditti Quartet

 

Limaçon (2012) 30”

Part 7 of The Navidson Record

Mezzo-Soprano Solo

Première: TBA

 

The Navidson Record (2011/12) c.36’

A Cycle in Seven Parts for Soloists and Ensembles 

 

1. Katabasis

2. Acheron

3. Escher’s Pharmacy

4. Phlegethon

5. Schattenwanderer

6. Cocytus

7. Limaçon

 

1.1(BOb).1(=Eb,BCl).0 / 1.0.1.0 / Pno (+Assistant). Hp. / Solo Cl. Solo Sop. Str4tet (2Vln.Vla.Vc) / Strings (1.0.1.1.1)

Première: TBA

 

Filonov’s Microscope (2013) 24’

Fl(+AFl, BFl), Ob(+Bob), Cl(+BCl, CbCl), Perc, Pno, Vln, Vla, Vc

Première: 11th May 2014, Saalbau Witten, Wittener Tage für Neue Kammermusik; Ensemble Recherche

Commissioned by the Ernst von Siemens Musikstiftung and WDR for Ensemble Recherche

 

Giacometti’s Razor (2014) 7’30”

Violin Solo

World Première: 17th February 2014; St Paul's Hall, Huddersfield. Ashot Sarkissjan

US Première: 26th February 2018; Commonwealth Avenue Concert Hall, Boston, MA. Ashot Sarkissjan

German Première: 6th June 2019; Internationales Künstlerhaus Villa Concordia, Bamberg. Ashot Sarkissjan

(Revised version of Face of Blades (2009), now withdrawn)

 

Pegasus (2014) c.10’ (currently withdrawn pending revision)

Female Voice, BCl, Perc, Kbd, Live-Elec, e-Zither, Vc

Première: 14th August 2014, CentralStation, Darmstadt Ferienkurse; Decoder Ensemble

Commissioned by the Harry and Alice Eiler Foundation for Decoder Ensemble

 

Arkanar: A Report From The Interior (2016, rev. 2018) 12'

Tuba and Live Electronics

World Première: 13th August 2016, Lichtenbergschule, Darmstadt; Jack Adler-McKean (Tuba), Steven Daverson (Electronics)

US Premiere: 10th February 2017, Spectrum, New York, NY; Jack Adler-McKean, Steven Daverson

World Première (Revised Version): 23rd July 2018, Lichtenbergschule, Darmstadt; Jack Adler-McKean, Steven Daverson

UK Première: 31st October 2019, Carole Nash Recital Hall, Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester; Jack Adler-Mckean, Steven Daverson

Commissioned by Jack Adler-McKean

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Figures Outside a Dacha, with Snowfall, and an Abbey in the Background (2020-2022) 22' 

Large or Small Orchestra, with Amplified Soloists and Live Electronics 

Instrumentation: 2(1+Picc,2=AFl+BFl). 0. 2(1+BCl,2=BCl+CbCl). 2(2=Cbsn). ASax. TSax. / 2. 2(2=Flug). 2 (2+ATbn). 1 / EGuit. Pno. 2Perc. / Strings 9. 9. 6. 6. 6. / Live Electronics

World Première: 21st January 2023; WDR Funkhaus Wallrafsplatz, Köln; WDR Sinfonieorchester, Manuel Nawri (cond.); Carl Faia, Steven Daverson (elec.)

UK Première: February 2025; Barbican Centre, London; BBC Symphony Orchestra, Ilan Volkov (cond.);  Carl Faia, Steven Daverson (elec)

Co-commissioned by WDR Sinfonieorchester and the BBC Symphony Orchestra

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La Nitroglycérine des Lumières (2017-2023) 12' 

Sax, eGuit, Pno, Perc, Live-Elec

Première: 19th November 2023, St Paul's Hall, Huddersfield; Ensemble Nikel, Steven Daverson (elec.)

Co-commissioned by Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival and the PRSF Composers' Fund

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