Role

:

Composer Conductor Performer

Country

:

United Kingdom

Birth

:

October 10, 1959 in Liverpool, Lancashire, England

Death

:

May 6, 2013 in Reading, Berkshire, England

Genre

:

Chamber

 

 

Keyboard

 

Steve Martland was a British composer who was born on October 10, 1959, in Liverpool, England. He grew up in a musical family, with his father being a jazz pianist and his mother a singer. Martland began playing the piano at a young age and later learned to play the guitar and bass guitar. He attended the Liverpool Institute for Boys, where he studied music and played in various bands. Martland went on to study composition at the University of Liverpool, where he was influenced by the works of minimalist composers such as Steve Reich and Philip Glass. He also studied with the composer Louis Andriessen in Amsterdam, where he was introduced to the music of Stravinsky and other modernist composers. Martland's early works were characterized by their use of repetitive rhythms and driving energy. His breakthrough piece was "Babi Yar," a choral work based on the poem by Yevgeny Yevtushenko about the massacre of Jews in Kiev during World War II. The piece was premiered in 1983 and received critical acclaim for its powerful and emotional impact. Martland continued to explore the possibilities of combining classical and popular music in his compositions. He collaborated with rock musicians such as Elvis Costello and Paul McCartney, and his works often featured electric guitars and drum kits alongside traditional orchestral instruments. One of Martland's most famous works is "Beat the Retreat," a piece for brass band and percussion that was commissioned by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra in 1991. The piece was inspired by the traditional English brass band music that Martland had grown up with, but also incorporated elements of rock and jazz. The piece was a huge success and has since become a staple of the brass band repertoire. Martland's later works continued to push the boundaries of classical music. He experimented with electronic music and collaborated with DJs and other electronic musicians. His final work, "Horses of Instruction," was a multimedia piece that combined live music with video projections and spoken word. Martland was a prolific composer who wrote over 100 works in his lifetime. He was also a respected teacher and mentor, and taught composition at the Royal Academy of Music in London and the University of Huddersfield. Sadly, Martland passed away on May 6, 2013, at the age of 53. However, his legacy lives on through his music, which continues to inspire and challenge audiences around the world.

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