Lecture by Thomas Simaku

Soliloquy Cycle – Sweet and/or Sour?

In this lecture, Dr Thomas Simaku, Reader in Composition, University of York, will discuss the genesis and processes involved in his Soliloquy Cycle, including the award-winning work Soliloquy V - Flauto Acerbo, and more! The Lecture will be in English and will last approximately one hour.

Thomas Simaku (b.1958) gained a PhD in Composition from University of York where he studied with David Blake. Winner of the coveted Lionel Robbins Memorial Scholarship in 1993, he also was the Leonard Bernstein Fellow in Composition at Tanglewood, USA (1996) studying with Bernard Rands, and a fellow at the Composers’ Workshop, California State University (1998), with Brian Ferneyhough.

Published in England by University of York Music Press and Emersion Edition, Simaku's music has been reaching audiences all over Europe and the USA for more than two decades, and it has been awarded a host of accolades for its expressive qualities and its unique blend of intensity and modernism. His works have been selected by international juries in nine editions of ISCM World Music Days, including the 2012 Festival in Belgium. His works have been broadcast worldwide and performed by renowned ensembles and orchestras. Prestigious awards include the First Prize of the Serocki International Competition (2004), Leverhulme Fellowship, and a three-year fellowship from Arts & Humanities Research Council in London. In 2009, Simaku received a British Composer Award from BASCA for his work Soliloquy V – Flauto Acerbo, which the judging panel described as ‘visionary and entirely original’. Simaku holds the position of Reader in Composition at the University of York. Most recently, he was awarded the first prize of the International Competition for Lutosławski’s 100 Birthday.

The event is part of the 5th International Pharos Contemporary Music Festival