Euan Ferguson - Fugere

Tom David Wilson -  Locus Secundus - Giudecca

Nora Marazaite - Ubik

Richard Greer - Orbiter

Gordon McPherson - Frankensaint

Michael McEneny - Shadows

Performed by Sinae Lee and James Whillshire at 'The Piano' Festival Glasgow Royal Concert Hall 06/11/15.

Programme Notes

I wrote Darmstadt blues just after spending several months working on a larger piece focused on referencing musical styles, melodies and material from other works.

Here, I wanted to enjoy more abstract composition, without intentional reference or subject matter. I focused on craft and technique more playfully, juggling different musical ideas in a way I found fun.

Unintentionally, the musical language of the piece now sounds distinctly referential. A strange hybrid of high modernism and a kind of light-hearted jazz that almost mirrors my approach. Hence: Darmstadt Blues.

Bio
Euan Ferguson is a composer working in the Glasgow area who recently graduated from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland with a BMus in Composition with Honours, First Class. His composition tutor was Dr. Gordon McPherson.

In 2013 he won the Craig Armstrong Prize for composition for his Sonata for Viola and Piano. This resulted in a commission and 'Damascus', a 30-minute staged concert piece with theatrical elements for 13 players was premièred at PLUG 2014.

He has had work performed by MusicLab (Strain), Garth Knox and Nicoletta Favari (Sonata for Viola and Piano), Red Note Ensemble (Theoretical Ending),The Paris Conservatoire Saxophone Ensemble (Bessler) and The Glasgow New Music Expedition (Fugere).

Listen to his music here: www.soundcloud.com/euan_ferguson

Euan Ferguson - Darmstadt Blues

Performed by Sinae Lee and James Whillshire at 'The Piano' Festival Glasgow Royal Concert Hall 06/11/15. Recorded by Alex MacKay.

The Last Waltz
It was the end of an era, but not everybody wanted to move on. The customary last dance didn't want to end while the younger lot didn't understand what all the fuss was about – how could they, they had nothing to loose. After all, as that French guy said, 'all changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy' (Anatole France).

Bio
Born and resident in Glasgow, Scotland, Richard Greer began playing music at around the age of 6 after some keyboard lessons. Richard graduated from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (formally the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama) in 2010 with a BMus First Class Honours in composition after studying with Dr. Gordon McPherson. He was awarded a scholarship by the RCS to continue his studies and has recently received his Masters there in Composition with Rory Boyle and Dr. Gordon McPherson. In 2008 Richard won Runner-up in the Dinah Wolfe Memorial Prizefor his piece Guernica In Your Livingroom, the Patron’s Prize for Composition in 2009 and Joint-First Place in the inaugural Craig Armstrong Prize for On Approach to the Waking World in 2010. Richard has worked with Guitarist Sean Shibe, Soprano Claire Thompson, Trumpeter Andrew Connell-Smith, MusicLab, the Viridian String Quartet, The Expedition, Red Note Ensemble,Said Ensemble, the RCS Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra on their Heart of Govan Project and Ensemble Modern at Enterprise Music Scotland’s Chamber Music Matters. His work has featured in several PLUG Festivals, the Brechin Arts Festival and stand-alone concerts organised in and around Glasgow.

He was recently commissioned by The Seraphim Trio to create a new work for Trumpet, Soprano and Piano -  'Tomorrowland', a new solo work for percussionist Glynn Forrest - 'G.L.Y.N.N.' and is currently working on a large-scale String Quartet 'Forgiveness and The Fear of Forever'. Future projects include a new duos for Guitarist Kevin Cahill and Cellist Molly Anne McWhirter and  Duo Van Vliet.

Richard is proud to be Artistic Director of The Glasgow New Music Expedition.




Richard Greer - The Last Waltz

The Glasgow New Music Expedition are a non-profit ensemble drawn from some of the best emerging Scottish-based or Scottish trained classical musicians with a few more experienced individuals alongside. We are lead by conductor Jessica Cottis and violinist Mieko Kanno.

Our mission is to commission, perform and create new work primarily from young, Scottish-based or Scottish trained composers and artists alongside work from international artists and to take this new work to the People of Scotland.

We support composers at all stages in their development and especially look to the nurturing of new and young talent. We believe the only differences between established composers and artists and those beginning their journey are time, experience and training.

Ultimately, it is our conviction that by supporting composers, artists and musicians in this way we can bring something unique, interesting, challenging and engaging to the people of Scotland.

Come and explore with us.

GNME