John Pickard (composer)
Encyclopedia
John Pickard is a British
classical
composer
.
Pickard was born in Burnley
, Lancashire
, England
. He studied music and composition at the University of Wales, under Welsh composer William Mathias
, and later in The Netherlands under Louis Andriessen
and in 1989 was awarded a PhD in composition. Since 1993 he has taught at the University of Bristol
, where he is Professor of Composition and Applied Musicology. John Pickard is also conductor of the University of Bristol Symphony Orchestra and Choral Society.
Pickard has composed a number of critically well-received orchestral and instrumental works, among them four symphonies
and a number of symphonic works, including perhaps his best-known piece, The Flight of Icarus, which San Francisco Chronicle
called a translucent and achingly lovely memorial to the fallen Icarus… a serious contender for the most exciting musical premiere of 2006. His orchestral writing has been highly praised: in March 2008 The Times
commented that his orchestral mastery is total. while, in April 2008 The Guardian
described his music as at its best virtuosically effective, in a style that never seems either self-consciously conservative or too stubbornly middle-of-the-road. He has also composed a Piano Concerto
, a Trombone Concerto The Spindle of Necessity, recorded by Christian Lindberg
and four string quartets. The Strad stated that the fourth quartet was one of the best pieces of British chamber music to be heard for years, while Tempo, reviewing a recording of all four quartets offered the opinion that if Pickard were never to write another quartet in his life, his place among the greats is secure.
John Pickard is also the General Editor of the Elgar
Complete Edition.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
.
Pickard was born in Burnley
Burnley
Burnley is a market town in the Burnley borough of Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It lies north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun....
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He studied music and composition at the University of Wales, under Welsh composer William Mathias
William Mathias
William Mathias CBE was a Welsh composer.-Brief biography:Mathias was born in Whitland, Carmarthenshire. A child prodigy, he started playing the piano at the age of three and composing at the age of five. He studied at the Royal Academy of Music under Lennox Berkeley, where he was elected a fellow...
, and later in The Netherlands under Louis Andriessen
Louis Andriessen
Louis Andriessen is a Dutch composer and pianist based in Amsterdam. He teaches composition at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague...
and in 1989 was awarded a PhD in composition. Since 1993 he has taught at the University of Bristol
University of Bristol
The University of Bristol is a public research university located in Bristol, United Kingdom. One of the so-called "red brick" universities, it received its Royal Charter in 1909, although its predecessor institution, University College, Bristol, had been in existence since 1876.The University is...
, where he is Professor of Composition and Applied Musicology. John Pickard is also conductor of the University of Bristol Symphony Orchestra and Choral Society.
Pickard has composed a number of critically well-received orchestral and instrumental works, among them four symphonies
Symphony
A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, scored almost always for orchestra. A symphony usually contains at least one movement or episode composed according to the sonata principle...
and a number of symphonic works, including perhaps his best-known piece, The Flight of Icarus, which San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
called a translucent and achingly lovely memorial to the fallen Icarus… a serious contender for the most exciting musical premiere of 2006. His orchestral writing has been highly praised: in March 2008 The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
commented that his orchestral mastery is total. while, in April 2008 The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
described his music as at its best virtuosically effective, in a style that never seems either self-consciously conservative or too stubbornly middle-of-the-road. He has also composed a Piano Concerto
Piano concerto
A piano concerto is a concerto written for piano and orchestra.See also harpsichord concerto; some of these works are occasionally played on piano...
, a Trombone Concerto The Spindle of Necessity, recorded by Christian Lindberg
Christian Lindberg
Christian Lindberg is a Swedish trombonist, conductor and composer.As a youth, Lindberg learned to play the trumpet, and subsequently began to learn the trombone at age 17. He originally borrowed a trombone to join his friends' Dixieland jazz group, inspired by records of Jack Teagarden...
and four string quartets. The Strad stated that the fourth quartet was one of the best pieces of British chamber music to be heard for years, while Tempo, reviewing a recording of all four quartets offered the opinion that if Pickard were never to write another quartet in his life, his place among the greats is secure.
John Pickard is also the General Editor of the Elgar
Edward Elgar
Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet OM, GCVO was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestral works including the Enigma Variations, the Pomp and Circumstance Marches, concertos...
Complete Edition.
Selected works
- Symphony No. 2 (1989);
- Sea-Change (1989),
- The Flight of Icarus (1990)
- String Quartet No. 1 (1991)
- Channel Firing (1992–93)
- String Quartet No. 2 (1993)
- String Quartet No. 3 (1994)
- A Starlit Dome: an 'astronomical nocturne' for piano solo (1995)
- Symphony No. 3 (1997)
- The Spindle of Necessity (Trombone Concerto) (1997) Commissioned for and premiered by Mark EagerMark EagerMark Eager is an English-born conductor and former BBC National Orchestra of Wales Principal Trombone. He lives in Salisbury, United Kingdom.-Biography:...
and BBC NOW. - String Quartet No. 4 (1998)
- Piano Concerto (2000)
- The Borders of Sleep: song cycle for baritone and piano (2001)
- Gaia Symphony (1991–2003) for brass band
- Sonata for Violin and Piano (2004)
- Eden (2005) for brass band
- Agamemnon's Tomb (2007-8) for three vocal soloists, chorus and orchestra
- Tenebrae (2008-9) for orchestra