GRAHAM FITKIN
Graham Fitkin is a UK composer who works with acoustic and electronic instruments, collaborates with dance, film and digital media alongside concert orchestral and chamber music, and is committed to involvement through the chain of music making – performing, conducting, producing, educating and generally trying to change things.
An early ‘Composer for Dance Award' in 1990 led to a new work for David Massingham Dance. Ever since then Graham has worked frequently with choreographers around the world with recent performance being given by Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company, Wayne MacGregor's Random Dance, Pacific Northwest Ballet, New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Bi-Ma, Sidonie Rochon, Munich Ballet and National Ballet of Portugal. He won the International Grand Prix Music for Dance Video Award in 1994
Graham has collaborated with many of today's foremost performers of new music including the Nederlands Blazersensemble, Will Gregory, Apollo Saxopnone Quartet, Smith Quartet, Piano Circus, Ensemble Bash, Combustion Chamber, Elysian Quartet and the London Chamber Orchestra.
Between 1994 and 1996 Graham was resident composer with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra producing five new works. Since then several new works have been commissioned and composed for orchestra, performances include those by the Halle, BBC Philharmonic, Tokyo Symphony, RSNO, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Bournemouth Symphony, Ulster and Nederlands Radio Orchestra. He has conducted orchestras in venues from the Lincoln Centre to South Bank to Aula Magna.
Performing has always been an important aspect of Graham's work. KAPLAN (based on the fictitious character in Hitchcock's North by Northwest), used video and live webcams on the musicians to focus on notions of mistaken identity and toured the UK, Japan and Holland in 2005. The more recent STILL WARM for multiple electronically manipulated harps toured the UK in 2007 with visuals by Marc Silver and Nick Corrigan. Concerned with the juxtapositions of opposites, this placed early gaelic plucked instruments into new contexts with digital and live visuals and is toured Italy in Nov 2008.
Over the past 10 years, Graham has directed educational and community projects including 3 UK PRS Composer in Education residencies, 9 regional community projects, university seminars, masterclasses and directed workshops in the UK, Japan, Italy and South Africa.
Recent works include Graham's Double Concerto for two Pianos and Orchestra – CIRCUIT, commissioned by the BBC and featuring soloists Kathryn Stott and Noriko Ogawa. This has just been recorded in Japan with the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra for BIS records.
Other recent collaborations include LENS, a piano trio commissioned by the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, a BBC commission for the Duke Quartet – PAWN, a solo for the new organ at Birmingham Symphony Hall and new interactive work, GEOGRAPHY – a multi location work for computers and video.
Graham's work has been released on CD by Decca's Argo label, Factory Classical, Sanctuary's Black Box and many others but more recently on his own label GFR.
2008 and 2009 sees the beginning of a multi-media collaboration with The Wilson Sisters and Wayne MacGregor. There are new commissions for London Chamber Orchestra, Fibonnacci Sequence, BBC Concert Orchestra and Sadler's Wells.
PERFORMANCES
| MONTH | DAY | PERFORMANCE | VENUE |
| July | 9 | TIDALfor orchestra” ** Perf BBC Concert Orchestra |
Watford, UK |
| July | 10 | VASSAL Perf Manchester Camerata |
Chester Music Festival, UK |
** World premiere *Territorial premiere
WORKS
WORKS FOR ORCHESTRA
AGNOSTIC (1997)
solo clarinet. timp. 2perc/str
1st Performance: Coal Exchange, Cardiff.10.09.97
BBC National Orchestra of Wales / Grant Llewellyn
Clarinet: David Campbell
Commissioned by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales
and the Vale of Glamorgan Festival
Duration: 16'
ARACT (1997)
picc.2.2.2.bcl.2/4.4.2+btbn.1/timp.1perc.pf/str
1st Performance: Seattle, Washington, USA .04 11. 97.
Pacific Northwest Ballet/Stewart Kershaw
Choreographed by Kevin O'Day
Commissioned by the Pacific Northwest Ballet Orchestra
Duration: 3'
ASCENDANT (2001)
picc.2.3.2.bcl.2/4.3.2+btbn.1/timp.2perc/str
1st Performance: Caird Hall, Dundee. 28.11.01.
Royal Scottish National Orchestra / Garry Walker
Commissioned by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Duration: 28'
BEBETO (1995)
4.3.3.2 / 4.4.3.1/ timp. 4perc/str
1st Performance: Chester Cathedral, Chester Festival. 27.07.95
Merseyside Youth Opera / Ed Warren
Commissioned by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society
Duration: 6'
CHILD (2000)
Children's Choir /1perc/strings
1st Performance: All Saints Church, Isleworth Festival. 19.05.00
Trinity College of Music String Orchestra and Voices / Nic Pendlebury
Commissioned by the Isleworth Festival
Duration: 13'
CIRCUIT (2002)
2 solo pianos. picc.2.3.3.bcl.2/ 4.3.2.btbn.1/timp / str
1st Performance: Bridgewater Hall, Manchester.21.03.03
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra / Jason Lai
Noriko Ogawa /Kathryn Stott - Pianos
Commissioned by the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Duration: 20'
FERVENT (1997)
picc.2.2.ca.2.bcl.2/4.4.2.btbn.1/timp.1perc. pf/ str
1st Performance: Seattle, USA. November 1997.
Pacific Northwest Ballet/Stewart Kershaw
Choreographed by Kevin O'Day
Commissioned by Pacific Northwest Ballet Orchestra
Duration: 15'
GAME SHOW (1995)
solo sax. 2.picc.2.ca.2.bcl.4sax.0/4.4.2.btbn.1/timp.perc
1st Performance: Üster Town Hall, Üster Festival, Switzerland. September 1997
Üster Festival Orchestra
Saxophone: Rob Buckland
Commissioned by the Üster Festival and Royal Northern College of Music.
Duration: 15'
GRAF (1997)
picc.2.2.2.bcl.2/4.3.3.1/timp/str
1st Performance: Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool.03.05.97
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra / Libor Pesek
Commissioned by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra / Innersense
Duration: 22'
GRANITE (1995)
solo piano.picc.2.2.ca.3.2bcl.2/4.4.3.0/timp.3perc.hp/str
1st Performance: Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool. 22.11.95
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Hall / Petr Altrichter
Commissioned by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
Duration: 22'
HENRY (1995)
2.2.2.2/4.4.2.btbn.0/1perc.hp.t/str
1st Performance: Liverpool Anglican Cathedral. 29.05.95
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra / Richard Hickox
Commissioned by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
Duration: 11'
HUOAH (1994)
0.0.2 ssx.0/4.3.3(III=btbn).1/pf /str
1st Performance: Lincoln Centre, New York. February 1995
New York City Ballet / Fitkin
Commissioned by New York City Ballet
Duration: 15'
LENGTH (1995)
picc.2.2.ca.3.ssx.2.cbsn/4.3.3.1/timp.4perc.bgtr.pf/str
1st Performance: Liverpool Anglican Cathedral. 16.11.94
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra/ Junichi Hirokami
Commissioned by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
Duration: 27'
METAL (1995)
picc.2.2.ca.2.bcl..2.cbsn/4.3.2.btbn.0/timp.3perc/str
1st Performance: Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool. 14.09.95
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Hall / Libor Pesek
Commissioned by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
Duration: 4'
NORTH (1998)
picc.2.3(III=ca).3(III=bcl).2/4.3.2.btbn.1/timp.3perc/str
1st Performance: Leeds Town Hall. 05.12.98
English Northern Philharmonia/Vernon Handley
Commissioned by the Northern Orchestral Consortium UK / Yorkshire Promotors Group
Duration: 16'
PERFECT CRIME (2000)
SATB Choir. 2(II=picc).2.2(II=bcl).2(II=cbsn)/4.3.2+btbn.1/timp.2perc./str
1st Performance: Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham 15.07.00
East of England Orchestra / Nicholas Kok
Commissioned by Nottingham City Council
Duration 22'
PLAN B (1999)
4 Saxophones (ssaa)/strings
1st Performance: Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester.22.02.04
Apollo Saxophone Quartet / Goldberg Ensemble
Duration: 17'
REEL (2008)
0.0.2(bcl).2ssax.0. / 1.2.1.0. / vib.pf. / str.
1st Performance: Linbury Theatre, Royal Opera House, London. 22.05.08
Royal Ballet / Barry Wordsworth
Duration: 10'
SERVANT (ARR 1998)
String Orchestra
1st Performance: St. Johns, Smith Sq. London
London Chamber Orchestra / Christopher Warren-Green
Arrangement Commission by the London Chamber Orchestra
Duration: 13'
TIMBER (2000)
2.2.2.2/ 4.3.3.1/timp.1perc/str/brass band.samba band
1st Performance: Coalville,Leics.09.12.00
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Desford Brass Band, Sambando/ Rumon Gumba
Commissioned by Northwest Leicestershire District Council
Duration: 17'
WORKS FOR LARGE ENSEMBLE
CUD (1988)
2fl, 2cl, 5sax, 5 brass, gtr, bgtr, 2 kbds, perc
1st Performance: Dovecot Arts Centre, Stockton-on-Tees.1988
Cleveland Jazz Orchestra
Commissioned by Cleveland Jazz Orchestra
Duration: 15'
HUOAH (1988)
brass band
1st Performance: Lincoln Centre, New York.
Duration:15'
NAPE (1996)
ssx, bcl, hn, tpt, tbn, hp, vln, vla, vc, d.bass
1st Performance: Lyceum Theatre,Sheffield.
The Royal Ballet and Orchestra / Andrea Quinn
Commissioned by the Royal Ballet
Duration: 21'
RING CYCLE (2005)
Massed Ensembles
1st Performance: Music Hall Aberdeen. 19.11.06
Sound Scotland
Duration: 30'
SKEW (1997)
2ob.2cl(II=bcl).2bsn.2hn.tpt.dbass
1st Performance: Muziekcentrum Vrendenberg, Utrecht. 28.01.98
Nederlands Blazer Ensemble
Commissioned by the Nederlands Blazer Ensemble
Duration: 12'
SUBTERFUGE (2007)
1.1.1.1. / 1.1.1.0. / perc.pf. / str. (1.1.1.1(featured part).1.)
1st Performance: St George's Hall, Liverpool. 03.10.07
Ensemble 10/10 / Clark Rundell
Commissioned by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic for the 10th anniversary of Ensemble 10/10.
Duration: 11'
WORKS FOR MUSIC THEATRE
GHOSTS (1993)
speaker.3 voices.sax. kbd.string quartet
1st Performance: Riverside Studios, London. 28.05.93
Garden Venture / Terry Edwards
Commissioned by Garden Venture at the Royal Opera House
Duration: 25'
