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Personal Profile For Dr James Saunders
Head of Centre for Musical Research. School of Music and Performing Arts.
BMus (Hons) [Huddersfield], PGDip [Huddersfield], MusM [RNCM], PhD [Huddersfield].
Personal Statement:
James Saunders' music is regularly performed in the UK and Europe, notably at Darmstadt where his Six Pieces won the Stipendienpreis at the 1998 Internationalen Ferienkursen für Neue Musik. He was one of the featured composers at the Ostrava New Music Days in 2001 and at the 13th International Composers' Seminar, Boswil, Switzerland in 1997, subsequently undertaking a composition residency at the Kunstlerhaus, Boswil in May 1998. In 2003 and 2007 he held residencies at the Experimental Studio fur Akustiche Kunst in Freiburg. James' music has also been played at numerous international festivals, including Bludenz Tage fŸr Zeitgenossiche Musik, Brighton Festival, The Cutting Edge (London), Darmstadt, Donaueschingen, Gothenburg Arts Sounds, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, Inventionen (Berlin), The Kitchen (New York), Music We'd Like to Hear (London), Rational Rec (London), Roaring Hooves (Mongolia), Ultima (Oslo), and Wittener Tage fur Neue Kammermusik. It has been broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and Resonance FM (UK), WDR3 and SWR2 (Germany), and national radio in Norway, Italy, New Zealand, Sweden.
He has worked with Apartment House (including occasional guest appearances as a performer), asamisimasa, Sebastian Berweck, ensemble chronophonie, duo Contour, Rhodri Davies, Nicolas Hodges, London Sinfonietta, Ensemble Modern, Psappha, ensemble recherche, SUONO MOBILE, 175 East and +- ensemble. Recent work builds upon his exploration of extremely short timescales to produce mosaic-like constructions drawing on an evolving pool of material. This extended project, titled #[unassigned], overlays short pieces in different combinations, with a unique version being prepared specifically for each individual performance. As a performer he plays in the duo Parkinson Saunders with composer Tim Parkinson, and has also performed with Alvin Lucier, Christian Wolff and Phill Niblock.
James studied at the University of Huddersfield and latterly with Anthony Gilbert at the Royal Northern College of Music. He is a Senior Lecturer in Music at Bath Spa University. In 2007 projects included new versions of #[unassigned] for ensemble reflexion K (Eckernförde), EXAUDI (Aldeburgh), Ensemble Modern (Donaueschingen), Rhodri Davies (Huddersfield), ensemble chronophonie/Experimental Studio fur Akustische Kunst der SWR (Freiburg), Barbara Luneburg (Frankfurt), and Christine Tavolacci/Tanja Masanti (Basel). James is also a participant in the London Sinfonietta's Blue Touch Paper Scheme, and held an AHRC Research Leave Award for 2005-6. He was commissioned by Sudwestrundfunk for a new version of #[unassigned] for Ensemble Modern, performed at Donaueschingen in October 2007. An interactive CD version of #[unassigned] played by Apartment House was released on the confront label in 2007.
Professional Qualifications:
FHEA
Membership of Professional Bodies/Subject Associations:
AHRC Peer Review College
Higher Education Academy
Performing Rights Society
Teaching Specialism:
Composition
Experimental Music
Music since 1945 (Musicology)
Notation
Key Publications/Exhibitions/Performances:
Recent Commissions
- Wesdeutscher Rundfunk (Germany) / Wittener Tage für Neue Kammermusik (2002)
- Arts Council of England / Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival (2002)
- Sheffield/Southampton Universities / Philip Thomas (2002)
- Project Arts Centre, Dublin (2003)
- Rhodri Davies (2004)
- Yorkshire Arts / Stephen Altoft (2004)
- Klangverein Stuttgart (2004, 2005)
- London Sinfonietta Blue Touchpaper Project (2005-7)
- Music we'd like to hear (2005)
- Galerie Mark Müller (2005, 2006)
- Sudwest Rundfunk / Donaueschingen Musiktage (2007)
- #200501 [1-3] Apartment House, Brighton Festival, BMIC Cutting Edge Tour, [e-guitar, clarinet, cello, 2 CDs]
- #010901, Ostrava New Music Soloists, Ostrava New Music Days, Czech Republic, [17 instruments]. Broadcast on Czech radio.
- #091001, Apartment House, GAS Festival, Gothenburg, Sweden, [clarinet, percussion, guitar, cello]. Broadcast on Swedish radio.
- #280402, Apartment House, Wittener Tage für Neue Kammermusik, [bass clarinet, trombone, percussion, cello, double bass, dictaphones, radio, CD]. Commissioned by WDR/Wittener Tage and broadcast on WDR3.
- #290602, David Behrman, Andrew Digby, Anton Lukoszevieze, James Saunders, Inventionen Festival, Berlin, [cello, dictaphones]
- #070702, Nicolas Hodges, Darmstadt Internationalen Ferienkurse für Neue Musik, Germany, [piano]
- #190702, Ensemble Resonanz, Darmstadt Internationalen Ferienkurse für Neue Musik, Germany, [10 strings]
- #241102, Psappha, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, [cimbalom, piano, violin] Commissioned by hcmf with funds provided by the Arts Council of Great Britain.
- #271102, Apartment House, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, [clarinet, trombone, percussion, chamber organ, viola, cello, double bass]. Broadcast on BBC Radio 3.
- #200203, London Sinfonietta, BBC Invitation Concert, Maida Vale, London, [bass clarinet, trombone, piano, percussion, 2 violins, viola] Broadcast on BBC Radio 3.
- #180604, asamisimasa, Bayan Gobi, Roaring Hooves Festival, Mongolia [clarinet, percussion, guitar]
- #111004, asamisimasa, Lindeman Hall, Norwegian Academy of Music, Ultima Festival, Norway [clarinet, percussion, guitar, voice]
- #181104, asamisimasa, The Warehouse, London, (The Cutting Edge), [clarinet, piano, percussion, guitar, voice, objects] Broadcast on BBC Radio 3
- #241104, +-, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, [clarinet, piano, guitar, violin, cello, objects]
- #110605, ensemble recherche, Historischer Kaufhaussaal, Freiburg, [alto flute, oboe, clarinet, piano, percussion, violin, viola, cello, 4 dictaphones]
- #011005, asamisimasa, GAS Festival, Gothenburg, Sweden, [clarinet, percussion, guitar]
- #211105, asamisimasa, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, [clarinet, piano, percussion, guitar, voice]
- #251105, Andrew Digby and Carl Rosman, Bludenz Tage Zeitgemäße Musik, Austria, [trombone, clarinet] Broadcast on ORT.
- #291105, Chenoa Anderson, Carmen Thierry Palomino, Alicia Bennett, Alexa Beattie, Jef Chippewa, Banff Centre for the Arts, Canada, [flute, oboe, clarinet, viola, auxiliary]
- #121006, Apartment House, BMIC Cutting Edge, The Warehouse, London, [clarinet, cello, 3 auxiliary/electronics]. To be broadcast on BBC Radio 3.
- #211106, Philip Thomas and James Saunders, HCMF [piano, electronics]
- #090607, EXAUDI, Aldeburgh Festival [voices, walkie talkies]
- #211007, Ensemble Modern, Donaueschingener Musiktage, Germany, [large ensemble] Commissioned by Donaueschingen Musiktage. Broadcast and CD release.
Residencies
- Experimental Studio der Heinrich Strobel Stiftung, Freiburg, Germany (January 2003, January/July 2007)
Performing
- Christian Wolff, Burdocks, Huddersfield/Sheffield Universities Experimental Music Groups/ Christian Wolff, St. Paul's Hall, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, 27.11.02 [project director, various instruments]
- John Cage - Electronic Music for Piano, James Saunders - #141102, Chris Newman - Songs, Tania Chen and musicians, The Warehouse, BMIC Cutting Edge, 14.11.02 [electronics, auxiliary instruments, voice]
- Mauricio Kagel, Acustica [UK Premiere], University Experimental Music Group, Recital Hall, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, 27 November 2003 [director, electronics]
- John Cage, Musicircus, Buruk Ensemble, BBC SO Cage Uncaged, Barbican, 16 January 2004 [auxiliary instruments]
- Manfred Werder, 2 ausführende, University Experimental Music Group, Huddersfield Art Gallery, 18-28 November 2004 [project director, organ pipes]
- Mauricio Kagel, Acustica, Apartment House, LSO St. Luke's, 22.05.05, Broadcast on Hear and Now, BBC Radio 3, 28.05.05. Video excerpt available on The Wire's website at http://www.thewire.co.uk/web/camera5.php. [experimental sound sources]
- Tim Parkinson - two cardboard boxes, John Lely - White Noise Machine, Alvin Lucier and the Open Sound Systems Ensemble, Tate Modern, 16 September 2005 [cardboard boxes, radio]. Archived on the Tate Modern website at http://www.tate.org.uk/onlineevents/archive/open_sound_systems/
- Mauricio Kagel, Acustica, Apartment House, Kettle's Yard, Cambridge, 29.01.06 [experimental sound sources].
- John Cage, Empty Words (Part 1) [UK Premiere], James Saunders, St. Paul's Huddersfield, 03.02.06 [speaker, projections]
- Phill Niblock, Sethwork [UK Premiere] Phill Niblock and James Saunders, Recital Hall, 26.03.06 [electric guitar]
- Music by Beuger (UKP), Werder (UKP), Pisaro (UKP), Cage, Wolff, Lely (WP), Parkinson (WP), Saunders (WP), Trunk (WP) - Parkinson Saunders / Apartment House, BMIC Cutting Edge, The Warehouse, Waterloo, 12 October 2006 [auxiliary instruments, electronics, electric guitar, voice]. To be broadcast on BBC Radio 3 (both concerts).
- Work by Cage, Lucier, John Lely (WP) and James Saunders (WP) - Saunders Thomas, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, 21.11.06 [electronics]. Broadcast on BBC Radio 3 Hear and Now (16 December 2006).
- Work by Cage, Wolff, Lucier, Lely, Parkinson. Parkinson Saunders, Museum of Modern Art, Oxford, Oxford Contemporary Music (BMIC/CMN Cutting Edge Tour), 5 April 2007.
- Work by Cage, Wolff, Lucier, Lely, Parkinson, Saunders, Crane. Parkinson Saunders and Anton Lukoszevieze, National Early Music Centre, York Late Music Festival (BMIC/CMN Cutting Edge Tour), 7 June 2007.
Writing
- James Saunders, "What are you doing with your music?", in Blocks of consciousness and the unbroken continuum, ed. Brian Marley and Mark Wastell (London: Sound 323 Press, 2006)*
- James Saunders, "The Dictaphone in my Life", Leonardo Music Journal 17 My Favorite Things - The Joy of the Gizmo (2007)
Installation/Exhibition
- #0505-040606-[i] installation Keith Talent Gallery, London [4 dictahpones, 2 CDs]
- Composition notebook exhibited in Between Thought and Sound: Graphic Notation in Contemporary Music from September 7 - October 20, 2007 at The Kitchen, New York, followed by a performance of #201007 in the closing concert.
Current Scholarship:
- ed. James Saunders, The Ashgate Research Companion to Experimental Music (Aldershot: Ashgate, 2009) [forthcoming]
External Examiners:
University of Birmingham [MPhil/PhD, 2006- ]
University of Huddersfield [MPhil/PhD, 2005- ]
Goldsmiths College [PhD, 2007- ]
Other External Roles:
Board Member, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival [2007- ]
AHRC application reviewer [2006- ]
Last Updated: 04 March 2008.
This page is created by the above named individual. The views expressed are theirs and are not those of Bath Spa University. BSU is not responsible for the content of any external sites referenced.