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{{BLP sources|date=April 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2012}} {{Use British English|date=October 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2012}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Infobox musical artist {{Infobox musical artist
|name = Gavin Bryars |name = Gavin Bryars
|image = Gavin_Bryars.JPG |image = Gavin_Bryars.JPG
|background =non_vocal_instrumentalist
|caption =
|birth_name = Richard Gavin Bryars
|image_size =
|background = non_performing_personnel
|birth_name = Richard Gavin Bryars
|alias =
|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1943|1|16|df=y}} |birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1943|1|16|df=y}}
|origin = ], England |origin = ], England
|genre = ], ], ], ], ]<ref name="Mason">{{cite web |last1=Mason |first1=Stewart |title=Gavin Bryars |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/gavin-bryars-mn0000150545/biography |publisher=AllMusic|access-date=16 July 2018}}</ref>
|death_date =
|occupation = Musician, composer
|instrument = ] |instrument = ]
|genre = |website = {{URL|gavinbryars.com}}
|occupation = Composer
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'''Richard Gavin Bryars''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|g|æ|v|ɪ|n|_|b|r|aɪər|z}}; born 16 January 1943)<ref> {{Dead link|date=November 2015}}</ref> is an English composer and ]ist. He has been active in, or has produced works in, a variety of styles of music, including ], ], ], ], ], ] and ].
'''Richard Gavin Bryars''' ({{IPAc-en|b|r|aɪər|z}}; born 16 January 1943) is an English composer and double bassist. He has worked in ], ], ], ], ], and ].


==Early life and career== ==Early life and career==
Born in ], in East Yorkshire, England, Bryars studied philosophy at ] but became a jazz bassist during his three years as a philosophy student. Born on 16 January 1943<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/bio/index.jsp?pid=3462 |magazine=Billboard |title=Gavin Bryars |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080120184232/http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/bio/index.jsp?pid=3462 |archive-date=20 January 2008 }}</ref> in ], in the ], England, Bryars attended ].<ref name="s736">{{cite news | last=Clinch | first=Dermot | title=Arts: Quiet at the back of the class | work=The Independent | date=19 December 1998 | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/arts-quiet-at-the-back-of-the-class-1192291.html | access-date=10 December 2024}}</ref> He studied philosophy at ] but became a jazz bassist during his three years as a philosophy student.


The first musical work for which he is remembered was his role as bassist in the trio ], alongside guitarist ] and drummer ].<ref name="am">{{cite web|title =Gavin Bryars: Biography |first=Anne|last=Feeney |publisher=Allmusic| url ={{Allmusic|class=artist|id=gavin-bryars-q7112/biography|pure_url=yes}} |accessdate =9 March 2011}}</ref> The trio began by playing relatively traditional ] before moving into ]. However, Bryars became dissatisfied with this when he saw a young bassist (later revealed to be ]) play in a manner which seemed to him to be artificial, and he became interested in composition instead. The first musical work for which he is remembered was his role as bassist in the trio ], alongside guitarist ] and drummer ].<ref name="am">{{cite web|title =Gavin Bryars: Biography |first=Anne|last=Feeney |publisher=AllMusic| url ={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=gavin-bryars-q7112/biography|pure_url=yes}} |access-date =9 March 2011}}</ref> The trio began by playing relatively traditional ] – they toured with saxophonist Lee Konitz in 1966 – before moving into ]. Bryars became dissatisfied with this when he saw a young bassist (later revealed to be ]) play in a manner that seemed to him to be artificial, and he abandoned improvisation, becoming interested in composition instead. In 1998 the trio reformed briefly, giving two live performances and making recordings.


Bryars's first works as a composer owe much to the New York School of ] (with whom he briefly studied), ], ] and ]. One of his earliest pieces, '']'' (1969), is an ] work which allows the performers to take a number of sound sources related to the sinking of the ] and make them into a piece of music.<ref name="am" /> The first recording of this piece appeared on ]'s ] in 1975. The 1994 recording of this piece was remixed by ] as ''Raising the Titanic'' (later collected on the '']'' album). Bryars's first compositions owe much to the New York School of ] (with whom he briefly studied), ], ] and ]. One of his earliest pieces, '']'' (1969), is an ] work that allows the performers to take a number of sound sources related to the sinking of the ] and make them into a piece of music.<ref name="am" /> The first recording of this piece appeared on ]'s ] in 1975. The 1994 recording was remixed by ] as ''Raising the Titanic'' (later collected on the '']'' album). In 2012, the centenary of the Titanic's sinking, Bryars made a new extended version, with film projections by Bill Morrison and Laurie Olinder, that included his four children as a low-string ensemble (viola, 2 cellos, bass) and turntablist Philip Jeck, subsequently released on GB records (BCGBCD21 2013)
{{listen {{listen
| filename = Bryars Sinking of the Titanic.ogg | filename = Bryars Sinking of the Titanic.ogg
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}} }}


A well known early work is '']'' (1971), which has as its basis a recorded ] of a ] singing a musical fragment that the old man had improvised.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/oct/21/gavin-bryars-ensemble-review?INTCMP=SRCH|title=Gavin Bryars Ensemble: Union Chapel|last=Lewis|first=John|date=21 October 2009|publisher=The Guardian|accessdate=9 March 2011}}</ref> On top of that loop, rich ] played by a live ] are built, always increasing in density, before the whole thing gradually fades out. A new recording of this work was made in the 1990s with ] singing along with the original recording of the vagrant during the final section. Another well-known early work is '']'' (1971), which has as its basis a recorded ] of a homeless man singing a musical fragment that the old man had improvised.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/oct/21/gavin-bryars-ensemble-review?INTCMP=SRCH|title=Gavin Bryars Ensemble: Union Chapel|last=Lewis|first=John|date=21 October 2009|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=9 March 2011}}</ref> On top of that loop, rich ] played by a live ] are built, always increasing in density, before the whole thing gradually fades out. A recording of this work was made in 1993 with ] singing along with the original recording of the vagrant during the final section.


Bryars was a founding member of the ], an orchestra whose membership consisted of performers who "embrace the full range of musical competence" — and who played popular ] works. Its members included ], whose Obscure Records label would subsequently release works by Bryars. In one of the first three releases from the label, Brian Eno's album '']'', Bryars conducted and co-arranged the three pieces ''Three Variations on the Canon in D Major by Johann Pachelbel'' which constitute the second half of the album. Bryars was a founding member in May 1970 of the ], an orchestra whose membership consisted of performers who "embrace the full range of musical competence" – and who played popular ] works. Its members included ], whose Obscure Records label would subsequently release works by Bryars. In one of the label's first three releases, Eno's album '']'', Bryars conducted and co-arranged ''Three Variations on the Canon in D Major by Johann Pachelbel'', which constitutes the second half of the album.


Bryars's later works have included ''A Man In A Room, Gambling'' (1992), which was written on commission from ] and ]. Bryars's music is heard beneath monologues spoken by the Spanish artist ], who talks about methods of cheating at card games. The ten short works were played on Radio 3 without any introductory announcements, and Bryars is quoted as saying that he hoped they would appear to the listener in a similar way to the ], both mysterious and accepted without question. His Cello concerto ''Farewell to Philosophy'' was recorded in 1996 by ]. The 1992 composition ''A Man in a Room Gambling'' was written on commission from ]. Bryars's music is heard beneath monologues spoken by the Spanish artist ], who talks about methods of cheating at card games (drawing on '']'' by ]). The ten short works were played on ] without any introductory announcements, and Bryars wrote that Muñoz hoped they would appear to the listener in a similar way to the '']'', "bemused by this fleeting and perhaps enigmatic curiosity."<ref name="gambling">{{Cite web |last=Bryars |first=Gavin |archive-date=2020-08-06 |title=A Man in a Room Gambling |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806101214/https://gavinbryars.com/work_writing/a-man-in-a-room-gambling/ |url=https://gavinbryars.com/work_writing/a-man-in-a-room-gambling/ |date=1995-01-01 |access-date=2024-01-08 }}</ref>


Bryars has written a large number of other works, including four operas, and a number of instrumental pieces, among them three ]s and several concertos. He has written several pieces for choreographers, including ''Biped'' (1999) for ]. Between 1981–1984 he participated in '']'', a vast, never-completed multimedia project by ], who also directed his first opera "Medea". He has also written a large body of vocal and choral music for groups such as the Hilliard Ensemble, the Latvian Radio Choir, the Estonian National Men's Choir, Red Byrd, Trio Mediaeval and has written a great deal for early music performers including 5 books of madrigals and a collection of over 40 "laude". Bryars has written many other works, including five operas, and many instrumental pieces, among them four ]s and several concertos. He has written several pieces for dance, including ''Biped'' (1999) for ], as well as works for ], ], ] and ]. In 1981–1984 Bryars participated in '']'', a vast, never-completed multimedia project by ], who also directed his first opera, ''Medea''. His cello concerto ''Farewell to Philosophy'' was recorded in 1996 by ]. He has also written a large body of vocal and choral music for groups such as the ], the ], the Estonian National Men's Choir, Red Byrd, ], ], Nordic Voices and The Crossing, whose recording of "The Fifth Century" won a Grammy in 2019. He has written a great deal for early music performers including six books of madrigals, several works for viol consort and a collection of 54 "laude" based on a 12th century manuscript.


Bryars ''When Harry Met Addie'' (a tribute to jazz singer ] and saxophonist ]) was premiered at the ] Memorial Concert at the ], London on 1 May 1999. The piece was performed by the London Sinfonietta Big Band<ref>review http://www.theguardian.com/culture/1999/may/04/artsfeatures.jazz</ref> and was commissioned by the baritone saxophonist/bass clarinettist ]. ] sang the soprano and the London Sinfonietta Big Band was conducted by ]·<ref>http://www.schott-international.com/shop/php/Proxy.php?purl=/essh/9/show,165998.html</ref> Bryars' ''When Harry Met Addie'' (a tribute to jazz singer ] and saxophonist ]) was premiered at the ] Memorial Concert at the ], London, on 1 May 1999. The piece was performed by the London Sinfonietta Big Band<ref>Fordham, John, , ''The Guardian'', 4 May 1999.</ref> and commissioned by the baritone saxophonist/bass clarinettist ]. ] sang the soprano and the London Sinfonietta Big Band was conducted by ]·<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.schott-international.com/shop/php/Proxy.php?purl=%2Fessh%2F9%2Fshow%2C165998.html |title=When Harry Met Addie - Schott music |access-date=25 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924095138/http://www.schott-international.com/shop/php/Proxy.php?purl=%2Fessh%2F9%2Fshow%2C165998.html |archive-date=24 September 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>


Bryars founded the music department at Leicester Polytechnic (now ]), and taught there for a number of years, but left in 1994 to concentrate on composition and performance. He lives in England, and, for part of the year, on the west coast of Canada. Bryars founded the music department at Leicester Polytechnic (now ]), and was Professor of Music there for several years. He left in 1994 to concentrate on composition and performance. He lives in England, and, for part of the year, on the west coast of Canada.


Since 1986 Bryars has run The Gavin Bryars Ensemble with his preferred musicians, consisting chiefly of low strings. Now, in addition, this regularly includes his children (2 cellos, piano and double bass)
He was born on the same day (16 January 1943) as another prominent English composer, ].


Since 1974 Bryars has been a member of ] and was elected Regent in 2001. In 2015 he was named Transcendent Satrap, the highest honour in the Collège, a position he shares with ], ], ], ], and others.
In his June 2008 appearance on '']'' author ] chose ''Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet'' as his eighth and final record choice.


In 2020, Bryars composed ''Altissima Luce'' for ]’s Coronavirus Fund for Freelance Musicians, a project supporting struggling musicians during the UK’s Covid 19 lockdown. It was included on the album ''Reflections'' alongside specially written pieces by other composers such as ], ], ] and ].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Altissima Luce – Gavin Bryars|url=https://gavinbryars.com/work_composition/altissima-luce/|access-date=2022-01-22}}</ref>
Since 1974 Bryars has been a member of ] and was elected Regent in 2001 and in 2015 was named as Transcendent Satrap, the highest honour in the Collège, a position shared with Marcel Duchamp, Man Ray, Ionesco, Umberto Eco and others.

In 2023, Bryars collaborated with Goole band ] on their new EP, "Another Rugby League Town".<ref>{{cite news |title=Goole band collaborates with eminent composer |url=https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fr5NAA_XgAEcRKR?format=jpg&name=medium |work=] |date=23 March 2023}}</ref>

Also in 2023, Bryars provided a special guest vocal for experimental composer Bill Vine's<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bill Vine: Composer – Composer |url=http://billvine.co.uk/ |access-date=2023-10-29 |language=en-GB}}</ref> work, "Norwich Under the Water".<ref>{{Cite web |last=postrockcafe |date=2023-09-11 |title=Bill Vine ~ Norwich Under the Water |url=https://acloserlisten.com/2023/09/11/bill-vine-norwich-under-the-water/ |access-date=2023-10-29 |website=a closer listen |language=en}}</ref> The piece premiered at Norwich Cathedral in August 2023.

In November 2024, Bryars received the ] for Innovation, presented in association with the ], at The Ivors Classical Awards.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Anna |date=2024-11-12 |title=The Ivors Classical Awards 2024 winners announced |url=https://ivorsacademy.com/news/the-ivors-classical-awards-2024-winners-announced/ |access-date=2024-11-13 |website=The Ivors Academy |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Winners announced at The Ivors Classical Awards 2024 |url=https://www.classical-music.com/news/ivors-classical-awards-2024 |access-date=2024-11-13 |website=www.classical-music.com |language=en}}</ref>


==Personal life== ==Personal life==
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==Selected works== ==Selected works==
* '']'' (1969, First performance: Queen Elizabeth Hall, London 1972). * '']'' (1969, first performance: ], London, 1972)
* '']'' Soundtrack Film Franco Brocani (1970). * '']'', soundtrack for Franco Brocani film (1970)
* '']'' (for Pre-recorded Tape and ensemble), 1972. * '']'' (for pre-recorded tape and ensemble), 1972
* ''Medea'' (Opera, libretto after Euripides. ) 1982, revised 1984 and 1995. * ''Medea'' (opera, libretto after Euripides), 1982, revised 1984 and 1995
* ''CIVIL WarS'' (incomplete Opera collaboration with Robert Wilson), 1984 . Some sections of the music exist in completed form, as follows: * ''CIVIL WarS'' (incomplete opera collaboration with Robert Wilson), 1984. Some sections of the music exist in completed form, as follows:
** ''On Photography'' for Chorus (SATB), harmonium, piano. ** ''On Photography'' for Chorus (SATB), harmonium, piano
** ''2B'' for Percussion ensemble. ** ''2B'' for Percussion ensemble
** ''Arias For Marie Curie, The Queen of the Sea, Captain Nemo, The Japanese Bride''. ** ''Arias For Marie Curie, The Queen of the Sea, Captain Nemo, The Japanese Bride''
* String Quartet No 1 ''Between the National and the Bristol'', 1985. * String Quartet No. 1 ''Between the National and the Bristol'', 1985
* Cadman Requiem (Dedicated to Bill Cadman, his sound recordist, who perished in Pan Am 103), 1989. * ''Cadman Requiem'' (dedicated to Bill Cadman, his sound recordist, who perished in Pan Am 103), 1989
* String Quartet No 2, 1990. * String Quartet No. 2, 1990
* ''A Man in a Room, Gambling'' for speaking voice and string quartet (Text: Juan Muñoz), 1992. * ''A Man in a Room, Gambling'', for speaking voice and string quartet (text: Juan Muñoz), 1992
* ''The North Shore'' for viola and piano, 1993. * ''The War in Heaven'', cantata for soprano, counter tenor, chorus and orchestra
* ''Three Elegies for Nine Clarinets'', 1994. * ''The North Shore'' for viola and piano, 1993
* ''Cello Concerto '''Farewell to Philosophy''', 1995. * ''Three Elegies for Nine Clarinets'', 1994
* ''Cello Concerto '''Farewell to Philosophy''', 1995
* ''Adnan Songbook'', 1996.
* ''Adnan Songbook'', 1996

* '']'', opera, 1998. * '']'', opera, 1998
* ''String Quartet no.3'', 1998. * ''String Quartet no.3'', 1998
* ''Biped – music for the dance by ]'', 1999. * ''Biped – music for the dance by ]'', 1999
* ''When Harry Met Addie'' - music for soprano voice (vocalise) and big band, 1999 * ''When Harry Met Addie'' - music for soprano voice (vocalise) and big band, 1999
* ''G'' (''Being the Confession and Last Testament of Johannes Gensfleisch, also known as Gutenberg, Master Printer, formerly of Strasbourg and Mainz'') Opera, 2002.<ref> ], 2005 (pictured)</ref> * ''G'' (''Being the Confession and Last Testament of Johannes Gensfleisch, also known as Gutenberg, Master Printer, formerly of Strasbourg and Mainz''), opera, 2002.<ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091216111156/http://www.blakemorrison.com/plays/gutenberg.htm |date=16 December 2009 }} ], 2005 (pictured)</ref>
* ''Nothing like the Sun – 8 Shakespeare sonnets'' for soprano, tenor, speaking voice, 8 instruments, 2007. *''I Have Heard It Said That a Spirit Enters'', 2002
* ''Nothing like the Sun – 8 Shakespeare sonnets'' for soprano, tenor, speaking voice, eight instruments, 2007
* ''Piano Concerto ("The Solway Canal")'', 2010. * ''Piano Concerto ("The Solway Canal")'', 2010
* Marilyn Forever - Opera 2013 * ''Marilyn Forever'' - opera, 2013
* ''Hövdingar hittast (Heroes Meet)'', 2014 with ] (bass) and ] (soprano) - A collection of pieces based on Faroese and Icelandic sagas
* Pneuma - ballet 2014 with Carolyn Carlson
* The Seasons - ballet 2014 with Edouard Lock * ''Pneuma'' - ballet, 2014, with Carolyn Carlson
* 11th Floor - ballet with Edouard Lock * ''The Seasons'' - ballet, 2014, with Edouard Lock
* ''11th Floor'' - ballet with Edouard Lock
* The Fifth Century - cantata for choir and saxophone quartet, text from Thomas Traherne
* '']'' - cantata for choir and saxophone quartet, text from Thomas Traherne, 2014
* ''The Heart of August'' - ballet with Eduard Lock
* ''The Collected Works of Billy the Kid'', chamber opera, text by ], 2018
* ''Requiem'' - ballet with David Dawson Dutch National Ballet, for full orchestra, choir and four soloists 2019
* ''A Native Hill'' - large a cappella choral work for The Crossing, setting Wendell Berry 2019
* ''Altissima Luce'' - trio for bass-clarinet, viola and cello
* ''String Quartet no.4'', 2020
* ''Wittgenstein Fragments'' for soprano, flute and string quartet 2021
* ''In Là'' collaboration for installation with sculptor Massimo Bartolini, Prato, Italy 2022
* ''Strng Sextet ("The Bridges of Könisberg")'' 2022
* ''Three New Gnossiennes (after Satie)'' in memoriam Ornella Volta 2022
* ''The Bridges of Königsberg'' 2023<ref>{{cite web |title=BBC Radio 3 - Radio 3 in Concert, The Consone Quartet in Haydn, Brahms and a haunting new work by Gavin Bryars |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001rj7n |publisher=BBC |access-date=11 November 2023}}</ref>


==References== ==References==
{{reflist}} {{reflist|30em}}


==External links== ==Annexes==
=== Bibliography ===
* Jean-Louis Tallon, ''Gavin Bryars, en paroles, en musique'', le Mot et le reste, 2020 ({{ISBN|2361396173}})


=== Filmography ===
<!--Please keep "the official %%% website" wording for Google:-->
* Jacqueline Caux, ''Dolce voce'', 2012
* – The official Gavin Bryars website : bio, discog, news, etc.
* '''' (2019), a short film portrait of Gavin Bryars and his work with ], shot at his house in Leicestershire
*

* – The official Gavin Bryars MySpace page : information and sound clips
==External links==
*
* {{Official website|https://gavinbryars.com/}}
* {{YouTube|z92IxOQszSY|Clip of Cello Concerto}}
*
* *
* *
* *
* (2017) by ]
*
* ] * ]


{{Gavin Bryars}}
{{portal bar|Classical music|England|Music|Opera}}
{{Authority control}} {{Authority control}}


{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see ]. -->
| NAME =Bryars, Gavin
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = British musician
| DATE OF BIRTH =16 January 1943
| PLACE OF BIRTH =
| DATE OF DEATH =
| PLACE OF DEATH =
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bryars, Gavin}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Bryars, Gavin}}
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Latest revision as of 00:05, 10 December 2024

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Gavin Bryars
Background information
Birth nameRichard Gavin Bryars
Born (1943-01-16) 16 January 1943 (age 81)
OriginYorkshire, England
GenresAvant-garde, classical, pop, chamber, experimental
Occupation(s)Musician, composer
InstrumentDouble bass
Websitegavinbryars.com
Musical artist

Richard Gavin Bryars (/braɪərz/; born 16 January 1943) is an English composer and double bassist. He has worked in jazz, free improvisation, minimalism, historicism, avant-garde, and experimental music.

Early life and career

Born on 16 January 1943 in Goole, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, Bryars attended Goole Grammar School. He studied philosophy at Sheffield University but became a jazz bassist during his three years as a philosophy student.

The first musical work for which he is remembered was his role as bassist in the trio Joseph Holbrooke, alongside guitarist Derek Bailey and drummer Tony Oxley. The trio began by playing relatively traditional jazz – they toured with saxophonist Lee Konitz in 1966 – before moving into free improvisation. Bryars became dissatisfied with this when he saw a young bassist (later revealed to be Johnny Dyani) play in a manner that seemed to him to be artificial, and he abandoned improvisation, becoming interested in composition instead. In 1998 the trio reformed briefly, giving two live performances and making recordings.

Bryars's first compositions owe much to the New York School of John Cage (with whom he briefly studied), Morton Feldman, Earle Brown and minimalism. One of his earliest pieces, The Sinking of the Titanic (1969), is an indeterminist work that allows the performers to take a number of sound sources related to the sinking of the RMS Titanic and make them into a piece of music. The first recording of this piece appeared on Brian Eno's Obscure Records in 1975. The 1994 recording was remixed by Aphex Twin as Raising the Titanic (later collected on the 26 Mixes for Cash album). In 2012, the centenary of the Titanic's sinking, Bryars made a new extended version, with film projections by Bill Morrison and Laurie Olinder, that included his four children as a low-string ensemble (viola, 2 cellos, bass) and turntablist Philip Jeck, subsequently released on GB records (BCGBCD21 2013)

The Sinking of the Titanic Sample of The Sinking of the Titanic by Gavin Bryars.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Another well-known early work is Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet (1971), which has as its basis a recorded loop of a homeless man singing a musical fragment that the old man had improvised. On top of that loop, rich harmonies played by a live ensemble are built, always increasing in density, before the whole thing gradually fades out. A recording of this work was made in 1993 with Tom Waits singing along with the original recording of the vagrant during the final section.

Bryars was a founding member in May 1970 of the Portsmouth Sinfonia, an orchestra whose membership consisted of performers who "embrace the full range of musical competence" – and who played popular classical works. Its members included Brian Eno, whose Obscure Records label would subsequently release works by Bryars. In one of the label's first three releases, Eno's album Discreet Music, Bryars conducted and co-arranged Three Variations on the Canon in D Major by Johann Pachelbel, which constitutes the second half of the album.

The 1992 composition A Man in a Room Gambling was written on commission from Artangel. Bryars's music is heard beneath monologues spoken by the Spanish artist Juan Muñoz, who talks about methods of cheating at card games (drawing on The Expert at the Card Table by S. W. Erdnase). The ten short works were played on BBC Radio 3 without any introductory announcements, and Bryars wrote that Muñoz hoped they would appear to the listener in a similar way to the Shipping Forecast, "bemused by this fleeting and perhaps enigmatic curiosity."

Bryars has written many other works, including five operas, and many instrumental pieces, among them four string quartets and several concertos. He has written several pieces for dance, including Biped (1999) for Merce Cunningham, as well as works for William Forsythe, Carolyn Carlson, Edouard Lock and David Dawson. In 1981–1984 Bryars participated in the CIVIL warS, a vast, never-completed multimedia project by Robert Wilson, who also directed his first opera, Medea. His cello concerto Farewell to Philosophy was recorded in 1996 by Julian Lloyd Webber. He has also written a large body of vocal and choral music for groups such as the Hilliard Ensemble, the Latvian Radio Choir, the Estonian National Men's Choir, Red Byrd, Trio Mediaeval, Singer Pur, Nordic Voices and The Crossing, whose recording of "The Fifth Century" won a Grammy in 2019. He has written a great deal for early music performers including six books of madrigals, several works for viol consort and a collection of 54 "laude" based on a 12th century manuscript.

Bryars' When Harry Met Addie (a tribute to jazz singer Adelaide Hall and saxophonist Harry Carney) was premiered at the Duke Ellington Memorial Concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, on 1 May 1999. The piece was performed by the London Sinfonietta Big Band and commissioned by the baritone saxophonist/bass clarinettist John Surman. Cristina Zavalloni sang the soprano and the London Sinfonietta Big Band was conducted by Diego Masson·

Bryars founded the music department at Leicester Polytechnic (now De Montfort University), and was Professor of Music there for several years. He left in 1994 to concentrate on composition and performance. He lives in England, and, for part of the year, on the west coast of Canada.

Since 1986 Bryars has run The Gavin Bryars Ensemble with his preferred musicians, consisting chiefly of low strings. Now, in addition, this regularly includes his children (2 cellos, piano and double bass)

Since 1974 Bryars has been a member of the Collège de 'Pataphysique and was elected Regent in 2001. In 2015 he was named Transcendent Satrap, the highest honour in the Collège, a position he shares with Marcel Duchamp, Man Ray, Eugène Ionesco, Umberto Eco, and others.

In 2020, Bryars composed Altissima Luce for Sound World’s Coronavirus Fund for Freelance Musicians, a project supporting struggling musicians during the UK’s Covid 19 lockdown. It was included on the album Reflections alongside specially written pieces by other composers such as Nico Muhly, Mark-Anthony Turnage, Evelyn Glennie and Sally Beamish.

In 2023, Bryars collaborated with Goole band Sandra's Wedding on their new EP, "Another Rugby League Town".

Also in 2023, Bryars provided a special guest vocal for experimental composer Bill Vine's work, "Norwich Under the Water". The piece premiered at Norwich Cathedral in August 2023.

In November 2024, Bryars received the Ivor Novello Award for Innovation, presented in association with the Musicians' Union, at The Ivors Classical Awards.

Personal life

Bryars is married to Anna Tchernakova, a Russian filmmaker, and has a stepdaughter and son. Bryars has two daughters from his first marriage.

Selected works

  • The Sinking of the Titanic (1969, first performance: Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, 1972)
  • Necropolis, soundtrack for Franco Brocani film (1970)
  • Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet (for pre-recorded tape and ensemble), 1972
  • Medea (opera, libretto after Euripides), 1982, revised 1984 and 1995
  • CIVIL WarS (incomplete opera collaboration with Robert Wilson), 1984. Some sections of the music exist in completed form, as follows:
    • On Photography for Chorus (SATB), harmonium, piano
    • 2B for Percussion ensemble
    • Arias For Marie Curie, The Queen of the Sea, Captain Nemo, The Japanese Bride
  • String Quartet No. 1 Between the National and the Bristol, 1985
  • Cadman Requiem (dedicated to Bill Cadman, his sound recordist, who perished in Pan Am 103), 1989
  • String Quartet No. 2, 1990
  • A Man in a Room, Gambling, for speaking voice and string quartet (text: Juan Muñoz), 1992
  • The War in Heaven, cantata for soprano, counter tenor, chorus and orchestra
  • The North Shore for viola and piano, 1993
  • Three Elegies for Nine Clarinets, 1994
  • Cello Concerto Farewell to Philosophy, 1995
  • Adnan Songbook, 1996
  • Doctor Ox's Experiment, opera, 1998
  • String Quartet no.3, 1998
  • Biped – music for the dance by Merce Cunningham, 1999
  • When Harry Met Addie - music for soprano voice (vocalise) and big band, 1999
  • G (Being the Confession and Last Testament of Johannes Gensfleisch, also known as Gutenberg, Master Printer, formerly of Strasbourg and Mainz), opera, 2002.
  • I Have Heard It Said That a Spirit Enters, 2002
  • Nothing like the Sun – 8 Shakespeare sonnets for soprano, tenor, speaking voice, eight instruments, 2007
  • Piano Concerto ("The Solway Canal"), 2010
  • Marilyn Forever - opera, 2013
  • Hövdingar hittast (Heroes Meet), 2014 with Rúni Brattaberg (bass) and Eivør Pálsdóttir (soprano) - A collection of pieces based on Faroese and Icelandic sagas
  • Pneuma - ballet, 2014, with Carolyn Carlson
  • The Seasons - ballet, 2014, with Edouard Lock
  • 11th Floor - ballet with Edouard Lock
  • The Fifth Century - cantata for choir and saxophone quartet, text from Thomas Traherne, 2014
  • The Heart of August - ballet with Eduard Lock
  • The Collected Works of Billy the Kid, chamber opera, text by Michael Ondaatje, 2018
  • Requiem - ballet with David Dawson Dutch National Ballet, for full orchestra, choir and four soloists 2019
  • A Native Hill - large a cappella choral work for The Crossing, setting Wendell Berry 2019
  • Altissima Luce - trio for bass-clarinet, viola and cello
  • String Quartet no.4, 2020
  • Wittgenstein Fragments for soprano, flute and string quartet 2021
  • In Là collaboration for installation with sculptor Massimo Bartolini, Prato, Italy 2022
  • Strng Sextet ("The Bridges of Könisberg") 2022
  • Three New Gnossiennes (after Satie) in memoriam Ornella Volta 2022
  • The Bridges of Königsberg 2023

References

  1. Mason, Stewart. "Gavin Bryars". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  2. "Gavin Bryars". Billboard. Archived from the original on 20 January 2008.
  3. Clinch, Dermot (19 December 1998). "Arts: Quiet at the back of the class". The Independent. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  4. ^ Feeney, Anne. "Gavin Bryars: Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
  5. Lewis, John (21 October 2009). "Gavin Bryars Ensemble: Union Chapel". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
  6. Bryars, Gavin (1 January 1995). "A Man in a Room Gambling". Archived from the original on 6 August 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  7. Fordham, John, "Ellington Now", The Guardian, 4 May 1999.
  8. "When Harry Met Addie - Schott music". Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
  9. "Altissima Luce – Gavin Bryars". Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  10. "Goole band collaborates with eminent composer". Goole Times. 23 March 2023.
  11. "Bill Vine: Composer – Composer". Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  12. postrockcafe (11 September 2023). "Bill Vine ~ Norwich Under the Water". a closer listen. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  13. Brown, Anna (12 November 2024). "The Ivors Classical Awards 2024 winners announced". The Ivors Academy. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  14. "Winners announced at The Ivors Classical Awards 2024". www.classical-music.com. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  15. ‘G' : Being the Confession and Last Testament of Johannes Gutenberg, also known as Gensfleisch, Master Printer, formerly of Strasbourg and Mainz (2002). Opera. Music by Gavin Bryars. Archived 16 December 2009 at the Wayback Machine Blake Morrison, 2005 (pictured)
  16. "BBC Radio 3 - Radio 3 in Concert, The Consone Quartet in Haydn, Brahms and a haunting new work by Gavin Bryars". BBC. Retrieved 11 November 2023.

Annexes

Bibliography

  • Jean-Louis Tallon, Gavin Bryars, en paroles, en musique, le Mot et le reste, 2020 (ISBN 2361396173)

Filmography

External links

Gavin Bryars
Operas
Other music
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