Musicatlas
Music
Combines Western progressive tradition with African and Asian elements. Known as a maverick, pushing each piece to a stylistic extreme so that characteristic patterns have become clear only over a long timeframe.
Primarily an orchestral and inctrumental composer, often exploring microtonal and other non-standard performance approaches; some electronic work for dance, some music theatre, and a number of vocal and choral pieces.
Highlights:
- Wymondham Chants (1970), see CD by Kings Singers
- Visions for Orchestra (1975), BBC broadcast 1976 and live premiere 1985
- Ten (1981) piano, see Peter Lawson Plays (ECR 001)
- String Quartets commissioned by Lindsay Quartet:
- #1 (1983) based on Indian Saranghi techniques and microtonal modes
- #2 (1990) on African drumming and Gambian dance-song
- #3 (1997) on Anglo-Saxon bardic prosody and sundial
- Two-Way Talking (1991), concerto for Ghanean drummer and 13 instruments
- Blackbird (1991-3) secular requiem, 70 minutes for large chorus and full orchestra (BBC Philharmonic)
- Crossing Ohashi Bridge (1995), string orchestra
In total some 60 broadcasts worldwide.
BBC Symphony Orchestra and South Bank Gamelan are giving the premiere of my Gamelan Concerto, Swans Reflecting Elephants, on 27 Feb 2004.
Life
Born in Suffolk, grew up in London and educated at Universities of East Anglia, Southampton and Leeds. Studied with Alexander Goehr. Married to Beth Wiseman since 1977. Senior Lecturer in Music at Manchester University, also active in national committees for new music, has conducted numerous premieres of own works, works by his students, and contemporary classics. Geoffrey left Manchester to become Head of Composition at Bristol University from January 2001.
Lived 1985 to 1987 in Nairobi Kenya where he undertook field studies and learned Kamba drumming.
At Princeton University as Visiting Fellow, Fall 1997. Interested in wide range of current ideas especially in science, ecology, film and literature, also admits to a weakness for astrology, I Ching and psy-research.
Was made Professor of Composition at Bristol in 2004.
bristol.ac.uk> Published: Maecenas Contemporary Composers, UK