Role

:

Composer

Birth

:

1965

Period

:

Classical

 

 

Romantic

 

 

Contemporary

Genre

:

Avant-Garde

 

 

Chamber

 

 

Concerto

 

 

Keyboard

 

Richard Ayres is a contemporary classical music composer who was born on February 26, 1965, in Cornwall, England. He grew up in a musical family, with his father being a jazz pianist and his mother a singer. Ayres started playing the piano at a young age and later learned to play the trumpet and the guitar. He attended the University of Sussex, where he studied music and philosophy. Ayres' early compositions were influenced by the music of Igor Stravinsky, György Ligeti, and Frank Zappa. He was also interested in the music of the American minimalists, such as Steve Reich and Philip Glass. Ayres' music is characterized by its playful and whimsical nature, often incorporating elements of humor and satire. One of Ayres' most notable works is his opera, "The Cricket Recovers," which premiered in 2005 at the Aldeburgh Festival. The opera is based on a story by the French writer Georges Perec and tells the story of a cricket who is kidnapped by a group of insects and forced to perform in a circus. The opera features a cast of insects, including a beetle, a spider, and a praying mantis, and is scored for a chamber orchestra and a children's choir. Another notable work by Ayres is his "No. 42 In the Alps," which was commissioned by the London Sinfonietta and premiered in 2008. The piece is scored for a large ensemble and features a wide range of instruments, including a toy piano, a kazoo, and a slide whistle. The piece is inspired by Ayres' experiences hiking in the Alps and incorporates elements of nature and landscape into the music. Ayres has also composed several works for orchestra, including "Noncerto," which was commissioned by the BBC Symphony Orchestra and premiered in 2011. The piece is a parody of the traditional concerto form and features a soloist who is constantly interrupted by the orchestra. The piece is scored for a large orchestra and features a wide range of instruments, including a toy trumpet and a bicycle bell. In addition to his work as a composer, Ayres is also a teacher and has taught at several universities, including the Royal Conservatory of The Hague and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. He has also been a guest lecturer at several universities, including Harvard University and the University of California, Berkeley. Ayres has received several awards and honors for his work as a composer, including the Paul Hamlyn Foundation Award for Composers in 2004 and the Royal Philharmonic Society Award for Large-Scale Composition in 2010. His music has been performed by several orchestras and ensembles around the world, including the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the London Sinfonietta, and the Ensemble Modern. In conclusion, Richard Ayres is a contemporary classical music composer who has made significant contributions to the field of music. His music is characterized by its playful and whimsical nature, often incorporating elements of humor and satire. Ayres' notable works include his opera, "The Cricket Recovers," and his piece for orchestra, "Noncerto." He has received several awards and honors for his work as a composer and continues to be a prominent figure in the world of contemporary classical music.

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