ABOUT ME
I am a composer of original music for amateur and professional musicians, with a large portfolio of compositions for solo, ensemble, and orchestral forces. I have written arrangements of popular music and jazz classics for orchestra and choirs, which are available commerically to purchase. I have also taught music appreciation classes in adult education colleges, and taught piano and music theory at home to private pupils.
My musical education spans foundation-level, degree-level and post-graduate level. My music has been performed internationally and in leading venues in London. I have performed with contemporary music groups, and with amatuer choirs and orchestras.
I live in Cambridge, England, UK.
Education
1980 - 1982 - Bromsgrove College, Worcestershire, UK
Two-year music foundation course. Studied piano with Harold Taylor (author of “The Pianist’s Talent” and Director of the Bromsgrove Music Festival).
1982 - 1985 - Newcastle Upon Tyne Polytechnic, UK
BA (Hons) in Music with first class honours. Studied clarinet with Graham Evans (Northern Sinfonia) and composition with Dr Steve Ingham.
1985 - 1986 - Newcastle Upon Tyne University, UK
British Academy scholarship awarded for research into graphical music notation. Action research undertaken in different day care centres and nursing homes. Performed with the Newcastle New Music Group in their contemporary music concerts in the North East of England.
1991 - 1993 - Goldsmiths College, University of London
Masters degree (M.MUS) in music composition. Studied with composer, writer, and performer professor Peter Dickinson.
Notable Performances
5th Dec.
2021
Airing of Samba from music for play Quatermaine’s Terms on Outreach Radio on Sunday Show Night hosted by Matthew Ellison.
13th Mar. 2009
The second live performance of the song cycle "Blind Love" for Soprano, Harp, and Strings. Performed at the Sofia City Modern Art Gallery, Bulgaria by the Bulgarian Chamber Orchestra “Orpheus” conducted by Raitcho Christov with Teodora Konach (Soprano) and Liliana Stoeva (Harp).
30th Oct. 2005
The premiere performance of Bulgarian Sketches for String Orchestra at the Cultural Palace, Pernik, Bulgaria by the Bulgarian Chamber Orchestra “Orpheus” conducted by Raitcho Christov.
20th Oct. 1995
A live performance of the solo piece for Oboe called Padma Vydha (morning lotus) performed by Catherine Pluygers at the British Music Information Centre (BMIC), London, as part of the "New Winds" festival 1995.
21st May 1993
The premiere of the complete song cycle "Nursery Songs" at Goldsmith’s Hall, London by the Goldsmith's New Music Group with singer Chloe Douglas, and conducted by Gregory Rose.
17th Dec. 1991
The first performance of the solo piece for Oboe called "Padma Vydha" performed live at the Purcell Room, South Bank Centre, London by Catherine Pluygers, who commissioned this piece.
5th Nov. 1987
A live performance of the Piano piece called "Bravura" in a lunchtime concert at the Kings Hall, Newcastle Upon Tyne by Robin Terry (Composer).
25th Jan. 1986
A live performance of the music theatre piece called "Brainwashed" by the Newcastle New Music Group at the Dovecote Arts Centre, Stockton, with Francis Robson and Rick Potter as recitors, Robin Terry and Andrew Orgee on pianos, and Dr Steve Ingham on synthesizers.
Music Teaching and Performance Experience
April 2026 - Present
Playing Clarinet in the Dust It Off Orchestra, Cambridge conducted by Nigel Bennett.
2016 - 2024
Sang bass with the Schroders Singers in their various carol concerts, and entered the "battle of the choirs" with them in London 2020.
Oct. - Nov. 1995
Tutor of the junior school as locum teacher at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London. Conducting the junior choir and taking Saturday creative workshops, including writing gamelan music.
1993 - 1994
Wroye and gave the pre-concert talks for the Hexagon Classical Concert series in Reading in 1993 and 1994. This involved giving 2-hour talks introducing key classical works in the series such as Prokofiev's Cinderella Suite, Vaughn-Williams' Tube Concerto, and so on.
March 1994
Wrote and taught the music appreciation course ‘A Handful of British Composers’ for Reading Adult College, which was held for 6 sessions at the Caversham Centre, Reading in 1994.
1990 - 1991
Sang bass with the Woodstock Choral Society, in their many choral concerts in Woodstock and Oxford, including singing in Britton's The Company of Heaven and Elgar's Spirit of England.
July 1990
Performed with the Oxford Gamelan as part of the Indonesian Music Festival "Island To Island" at the South Bank Festival Hall, London.
March 1986
Worked as Music Animatuer for the Harmonie Band's week-long Composition in Schools Project in Whitehaven, Cumbria, sponsored by Northern Arts.
Published Music and Catalogues
- 2025 - The Waters of March by Tom Jobim arranged for Jazz sextet – published through Hal Leonard Inc. and available on Sheet Music Plus (A0.1723065) and Sheet Music Direct (Product ID 1834655)
- 2025 - “Living In Another World” by Tim Friese-Greene and Mark Hollis (Talk Talk), arranged for large SATB choir and piano – published through Hal Leonard Inc. and available on Sheet Music Plus (A0.1577807) and Sheet Music Direct (Product ID 1685836)
- 2024 - UCLA Open Access Library (eScholarship) – inclusion of Padma Tamarasa for Solo Soprano Saxophone (https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1883b7hx)
- 2024 - “Song To The Siren” by Tim Buckley and Larry Beckett, arranged for large SATB choir and piano – published through Hal Leonard Inc. and available on Sheet Music Plus (AO.1369022) and Sheet Music Direct (Product ID 1468046)
- 2023 - "O Leãozinho" by Caetano Veloso, arranged for Choro / Jazz sextet – published through Hal Leonard Inc. and available on Sheet Music Plus (A0.1298765) and Sheet Music Direct (Product ID 1394848)
- 2023 - “Speak Low” by Ogden Nash and Kurt Weill, arranged for Piano / Soprano – published through Hal Leonard Inc. and available on Sheet Music Plus (A0.1188344) and Sheet Music Direct (Product ID 1283986)
- 2022 - Inclusion of "Elegiac Blues - Homage to Constant Lambert" in the book Astonishing The Brickwork by James L. Orwin, published by Dancing Sisters, Hull 2022. (https://philiplarkin.com/product/astonishing-the-brickwork-philip-larkin-set-to-music-jim-orwin/)
- 2022 - Rhapsody in G Major for Solo Piano – published through Hal Leonard Inc. and available on Sheet Music Plus (A0.1091556) and Sheet Music Direct (Product ID 1194893)
- 2022 - "Never Give All The Heart" – Part-song for unaccompanied SATB Choir on poem by W. B, Yates – published through Hal Leonard Inc. and available on Sheet Music Plus (A0.1091556) and Sheet Music Direct (Product ID 1165691)
- 2022 - "I Syng of a Mayden" – A Christmas Carol for SATB Choir and Organ on 13th centuary text – published through Hal Leonard Inc. and available on Sheet Music Plus (A0.1084969) and Sheet Music Direct (Product ID 1159368)
- 2021 - Bossa Nova for Light Orchestra ("Danca Da Chuva") – published through Hal Leonard Inc. and available on Sheet Music Plus (A0.1212509) and Sheet Music Direct (Product ID 1308074)
- 2020 - UCLA Open Access Library (eScholarship) – inclusion of "Songs Without Words" for Solo Cello and String Orchestra (https://escholarship.org/uc/item/977729fz), and "Daphne’s Wedding" for Soprano and Chamber Orchestra on poem by Thomas Morely (https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2qz1k3td)
- 2002 - Chamber Music Repertoire for Amateur Players (3rd Edition) by Harold Haines – inclusion of String Quartet "Estampie Real"
- 2002 - Contemporary Music for Amateurs (COMA) music library – inclusion of String Quartet "Estampie Real" (http://www.coma.org/catalogue/estampie-real-orgee-1664/ )
- 1983-84 - "100 Russian Folk Songs" published by Newcastle Polytechnic Modern Languages Department – transcriptions taken from live recordings of Russian folk singers