Role

:

Composer  

Country

:

Ireland

Birth

:

April 28, 1952 in County Clare, Ireland

Period

:

Contemporary

Genre

:

Chamber

 

 

Keyboard

 

Gerald Barry is a contemporary classical music composer who was born on April 28, 1952, in Clarehill, County Clare, Ireland. He grew up in rural Ireland and was the youngest of nine children. His father was a farmer, and his mother was a schoolteacher. Barry showed an early interest in music and began playing the piano at the age of six. He attended St. Flannan's College in Ennis, where he studied music and played in the school orchestra. After finishing school, Barry moved to Dublin to study music at University College Dublin. He studied composition with Frederick May and piano with John O'Conor. He also attended summer courses at the Dartington International Summer School in England, where he studied with the composer Peter Maxwell Davies. Barry's early works were influenced by the music of Stravinsky, Bartok, and Webern. His first major work was the opera "The Intelligence Park," which premiered in 1990 at the Almeida Theatre in London. The opera is a surrealistic work that tells the story of a composer who is trying to finish an opera but is constantly interrupted by the voices in his head. Barry's music is known for its complexity and humor. He often uses unconventional instruments and techniques in his compositions. For example, his piece "Chevaux-de-frise" for six percussionists includes the use of a typewriter and a vacuum cleaner. His piece "The Triumph of Beauty and Deceit" for orchestra includes a section where the musicians are instructed to play their instruments as loudly as possible for as long as possible. In addition to his operas, Barry has composed numerous works for orchestra, chamber ensembles, and solo instruments. Some of his notable works include "La Jalousie Taciturne" for orchestra, "Piano Quartet" for violin, viola, cello, and piano, and "Beethoven" for choir and orchestra. Barry has received numerous awards and honors for his work. In 2012, he was awarded the Royal Philharmonic Society Music Award for Large-Scale Composition for his opera "The Importance of Being Earnest." He has also been awarded the Arnold Schoenberg Prize, the Royal Philharmonic Society Award for Chamber Music, and the British Composer Award for Stage Works. Barry continues to compose and has several upcoming projects, including a new opera based on the life of Alice in Wonderland author Lewis Carroll. He currently resides in Dublin with his wife, the composer and pianist Barbara Monk Feldman.

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