Role

:

Composer

Country

:

United Kingdom

Birth

:

1961 in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England

Period

:

Contemporary

Genre

:

Chamber

 

 

Keyboard

 

David Sawer is a British composer who was born on April 16, 1961, in Stockport, England. He grew up in a musical family, with his father being a jazz pianist and his mother a singer. Sawer began playing the piano at a young age and later learned to play the clarinet and saxophone. He attended the University of York, where he studied music and composition under the tutelage of Wilfred Mellers and David Blake. Sawer's early works were heavily influenced by the music of Stravinsky, Bartok, and Ligeti. His first major composition, "The Memory of Water," was written in 1984 and premiered at the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival. The piece was well-received and established Sawer as a promising young composer. In the years that followed, Sawer continued to compose music that was both innovative and accessible. His works often featured complex rhythms and harmonies, but also had a strong sense of melody and structure. Some of his most notable compositions from this period include "Byrnan Wood," "The Greatest Happiness Principle," and "The Lighthouse Keepers." Sawer's breakthrough came in 1995 with the premiere of his opera "From Morning to Midnight." The opera, which was based on a play by Georg Kaiser, tells the story of a bank clerk who becomes obsessed with money and embarks on a wild spending spree. The music was praised for its energy and inventiveness, and the opera was hailed as a major achievement in contemporary music. Since then, Sawer has continued to compose music for a variety of ensembles and genres. He has written works for orchestra, chamber groups, and solo instruments, as well as music for dance and theater. Some of his most recent works include "April _ March," a piece for solo piano and orchestra, and "The Skating Rink," an opera based on the novel by Roberto Bolano. Throughout his career, Sawer has received numerous awards and honors for his work. He was awarded the Paul Hamlyn Foundation Award for Composers in 1999 and was named a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music in 2001. His music has been performed by some of the world's leading orchestras and ensembles, including the London Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and the Ensemble Modern. In conclusion, David Sawer is a highly respected composer who has made significant contributions to the world of classical music. His music is known for its complexity, energy, and inventiveness, and has been performed by some of the world's leading musicians and ensembles. Sawer's work continues to be an important part of the contemporary music landscape, and he remains a vital and influential figure in the world of classical music.

More....