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GRAHAM FITKIN

Graham Fitkin was born in Cornwall in 1963. He studied at Nottingham University with Peter Nelson and Nigel Osborne. After completing his studies there Graham travelled to The Netherlands to study with Louis Andriessen at Koninklijk Conservatorium in The Hague.

Composing for solo or multiple pianos has been central to his work. He works regularly with pianist Kathryn Stott, founded the four-pianist group ‘Nanquidno’ and has worked closely with the six piano ensemble Piano Circus. He often performs his own works and also performs in duo with partner Ruth Wall.

A ‘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 performances being given by Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company, Wayne MacGregor's Random Dance, Pacific Northwest Ballet, New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Munich Ballet and the National Ballet of Portugal. Fitkin won the International Grand Prix Music for Dance Video Award in 1994.

Known particularly for his ensemble writing, Fitkin has collaborated with many of today's performers of new music including the Nederlands Blazersensemble, Apollo Saxophone Quartet, Smith Quartet, Ensemble Bash, Thomas Bowes and Eleanor Alberga, and the London Chamber Orchestra.

Graham was Composer-in-Association with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra between 1994 and 1996 and wrote five orchestral works in this period. Since then several new works have been commissioned and composed for orchestra, and performances include those by the Hallé, BBC Philharmonic, English Northern Philharmonia, RSNO, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Bournemouth Symphony, Ulster, Nederlands Radio Orchestra, and Uster Festival (Switzerland).

The Fitkin Group was founded in 1996 to perform the composer's work alongside other contemporary composers (e.g. Bryars, Poppy, Feldman) and has given performances throughout the UK, in the EU and most recently at the Varna Festival in Bulgaria.

Graham is committed to education work. He has directed various projects including 3 PRS Composer in Education residencies, led university seminars, given composition master-classes and directed workshops all over the UK as well as in Soweto, South Africa.

Recent works include Graham’s Double Concerto for two Pianos and Orchestra - ‘Circuit’ which was given its UK premiere at the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester earlier this year. It was a BBC commission and performed by soloists Kathyrn Stott and Noriko Ogawa with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. Another recent piece is ‘KAPLAN’, a sixty minute piece for keyboards based on the central character from Hitchcock’s North By Northwest. This seven movement work also uses video and live webcams and is concerned with mistaken identity.

Future commissions include a piano trio commissioned by the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, a new BBC commission for the Duke Quartet, a brass quartet for Trillium, a solo for the new organ at Birmingham Symphony Hall and a new interactive work ‘Geography’.

 


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