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Edward Cowie (born 17 August 1943) is an English
composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...
,
author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...
, natural scientist, and painter.


Life

Edward Cowie was born in
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
, England, in 1943 and spent most of his early life in the rural countryside. This first-hand experience of nature was to have a profound influence on his life and work. In 1964 he began composition studies with Alexander Goehr and in 1971 he won a Chopin Fellowship to study with
Witold Lutosławski Witold Roman Lutosławski (; 25 January 1913 – 7 February 1994) was a Polish composer and conductor. Among the major composers of 20th-century classical music, he is "generally regarded as the most significant Polish composer since Szyman ...
in Poland. He also came under the influence of
Michael Tippett Sir Michael Kemp Tippett (2 January 1905 – 8 January 1998) was an English composer who rose to prominence during and immediately after the Second World War. In his lifetime he was sometimes ranked with his contemporary Benjamin Britten ...
, who remained a close friend and mentor. Early recognition came with the 1975
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
Proms The BBC Proms or Proms, formally named the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts Presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hal ...
commission ''Leviathan'' for large orchestra, and this was followed by a string of festival commissions and recordings. Major works from this period include ''Gesangbuch'' (1975-6), the ''Piano Concerto'' (1976-7) and ''Concerto for Orchestra'' (1982), as well as the
opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...
''Commedia'' (1976-7). In 1983, Cowie was awarded the first Granada Composer Fellowship with the
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Royal Liverpool Philharmonic is a music organisation based in Liverpool, England, that manages a professional symphony orchestra, a concert venue, and extensive programmes of learning through music. Its orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmon ...
. He remained with the orchestra for three years and worked with them as both composer and conductor. He subsequently worked as a conductor with several major orchestras and ensembles in Britain and Australia. Among works from this time are the ''Clarinet Concerto'' (1978), ''Choral Symphony'' (1983), ''Atlas'' (1986), ''Cello Concerto'' (1993, revised 2003) and several pieces inspired by the Australian folk-hero
Ned Kelly Edward Kelly (December 1854 – 11 November 1880) was an Australian bushranger, outlaw, gang leader and convicted police-murderer. One of the last bushrangers, he is known for wearing a suit of bulletproof armour during his final shootout wi ...
. After twelve years in Australia he returned to England to live in 1995.


Music

Cowie's appointment as the first Composer in Association with the
BBC Singers The BBC Singers are a British chamber choir, and the professional chamber choir of the BBC. One of the six BBC Performing Groups, the BBC Singers are based at the BBC's Maida Vale Studios in London. The only full-time professional British ...
(2002-6) saw the completion of some of his most complex and inventive scores, including ''Gaia'' (2002), an hour-long creation epic inspired by the writings of
James Lovelock James Ephraim Lovelock (26 July 1919 – 26 July 2022) was an English independent scientist, environmentalist and futurist. He is best known for proposing the Gaia hypothesis, which postulates that the Earth functions as a self-regulating sys ...
and ''National Portraits'', shortlisted for the 2007 British Composer, Radio 3 Listeners' Award. In May 2010 the third part (Spring) of ''Four Seasons'' for
a cappella ''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...
choir, a joint commission by CC21 in London and Commotio in
Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
, received its premiere. The conductor, Howard Williams, has premiered many of Cowie's works. His 24 Preludes were released on UHR Label in 2008 to critical acclaim. This was followed by the release of his Magma Psalm for Harp and Wind Quartet on NMC label in March, 2010. His Rutherford's Lights, a massive cycle of 24 pieces for solo piano has just been recorded on UHR label with Richard Casey as the pianist and was released in the early autumn, 2010. It was described as 'an epic achievement' in International Piano Magazine in February 2010. The Rutherford cycle was followed by his 'Particle Partita for solo Violin', a set of 8 sort pieces that trace the time-line in the history of particle physics. Collaborating first with physicist Sir Michael Berry FRS on the Rutherford Cycle, the Particle Partita was a collaboration between Cowie and particle physicist Professor Brian Foster FRS of
Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
and
CERN The European Organization for Nuclear Research, known as CERN (; ; ), is an intergovernmental organization that operates the largest particle physics laboratory in the world. Established in 1954, it is based in a northwestern suburb of Gene ...
. A new collaboration has begun with Sir Michael Berry on an Oboe Quintet, 'The Colours of Dark Light', and will be premiered in the 2013/14 season with the Coull Quartet and Christopher Redgate.2013 saw celebrations of Cowie's 70th birthday with a BBC Prom commission, 'Earth Music 1' premiered by the BBC Philharmonic under Noseda. There was also a Proms Portrait Concert in the RCM and a special birthday-tribute concert given for him by the BBC Singers. The new Signum Classics release of Cowie's 'Gesangbuch' and other choral/instrumental works was received with critical acclaim as was Earth Music 1. The
Kreutzer Quartet The Kreutzer Quartet is a British string quartet. With their selected programs they have given concerts in Italy, Germany, France, Holland, Serbia, Montenegro, Sardinia, the United States, Spain, Cyprus, Poland and Lithuania. A further focus i ...
released the first in a series of recordings of Cowie's String Quartets, the first being quartets 3-5 and on the NMC Label. Cowie’s connection with the renowned Kreutzer Quartet has led to the composition of a 6th and 7th Quartets. The Kreutzers have now recorded all of his quartets from 1 to 6. The quarters have been received to great critical acclaim. Cowie signed with Metier Divine Arts in 2019. This company is committed to an ongoing series of portrait recordings of his music. Recent recordings have been his epic cycle of ‘ Bird Portraits’ (24 British Birds),for violin and piano, and a second bird cycle , ‘Where Song was Born’, devoted to Australian Birds and for flute and piano. In recent years Cowie has composed an ever increasing number of works fur soloists, duos and chamber groups. Many leading international musicians are performing his music. Recently hailed as ‘considered by many to be the greatest living composer directly inspired by the Natural World’, he continues to compose more vigorously than ever. He now lives in south Cumbria with his distinguished Australian Visual Artist wife, Heather Cowie.


Academic appointments

1973-83 Associate Professor of Composition,
University of Lancaster , mottoeng = Truth lies open to all , established = , endowment = £13.9 million , budget = £317.9 million , type = Public , city = Bailrigg, City of Lancaster , country = England , coor = , campus = Bailrigg , faculty = ...

. 1979 Guest Professor,
University of Kassel The University of Kassel (german: link=no, Universität Kassel) is a university founded in 1971 located in Kassel, Hessen, in central Germany. As of February 2022 it had about 25,000 students and about 3300 staff, including more than 300 profe ...

1978 Visiting Professor,
University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...

1983-88 Professor and Head of the School of Creative Arts at the
University of Wollongong The University of Wollongong (abbreviated as UOW) is an Australian public research university located in the coastal city of Wollongong, New South Wales, approximately 80 kilometres south of Sydney. As of 2017, the university had an enrolment of ...
, Australia
1989-94 Professor and Director of the Australian Arts Fusion Centre at
James Cook University James Cook University (JCU) is a public university in North Queensland, Australia. The second oldest university in Queensland, JCU is a teaching and research institution. The university's main campuses are located in the tropical cities of Cairn ...
,
Townsville Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. With a population of 180,820 as of June 2018, it is the largest settlement in North Queensland; it is unofficially considered its capital. Estimated resident population, 3 ...

1996 -2008 Professor and Director of Research at
Dartington College of Arts Dartington College of Arts was a specialist arts college located at Dartington Hall in the south-west of England, offering courses at degree and postgraduate level together with an arts research programme. It existed for a period of almost 50 ...
in
Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...
. 2013 Awarded a Leverhulme Emeritus Research Fellowship for 2013-2015 for research towards two new orchestral works in the 'Earth Music' series and will include funded research trips to Africa and California in late 2014 and mid 2015


Musical style and influences

In addition to his lifelong fascination with landscape and the natural world, Cowie has acknowledged the influence on his music of the works of
J.S. Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late baroque music, Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the ''Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suite ...
,
Haydn Franz Joseph Haydn ( , ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions to musical form have led ...
, Janáček,
Debussy (Achille) Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influential composers of the ...
,
Sibelius Jean Sibelius ( ; ; born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius; 8 December 186520 September 1957) was a Finnish composer of the late Romantic and early-modern periods. He is widely regarded as his country's greatest composer, and his music is often ...
and
Messiaen Olivier Eugène Prosper Charles Messiaen (, ; ; 10 December 1908 – 27 April 1992) was a French composer, organist, and ornithology, ornithologist who was one of the major composers of the 20th-century classical music, 20th century. His m ...
. His mature style combines elements of
impressionism Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating ...
with intricate part-writing, intense lyrical expressiveness, tonal fluidity and rhythmic complexity. Cowie acknowledges these earlier influences whilst at the same time stressing a continued journey of exploration of new musical forms, especially those that can be discovered by a fusion of music with structural and behavioural materials derived from and inspired by both the natural sciences and physics. In recent times, Cowie has increasingly turned to acts of drawing and painting, in an addition to theoretical research, as primers for his music. Not having composed for orchestra for several years, he has also commenced the first of a large set of short works for large orchestra, called 'Earth Music'. He feels that the lengthy and weighty dialectic approach to earlier large-scale orchestral works, should now give way to a form of synthesis and compression, where the sensation of the music is intensified by brevity. Returning to writing for large orchestral forces in 2012, Cowie has commenced a major series of short orchestral works, none lasting more than 9'. This cycle, to be titled 'Earth Music' will open with a BBC Prom Commission for 2013 (the composer's 70th birthday year). Cowie has stated that ''I want to work with brevity in time but with great concentration and event. I have come to realise that some of our most intense experiences of (for example), the natural world, last for something around a minute or less in their most dynamic form. In removing myself from some previously practised lengthy dialectical formalism, I am going to try to engage with synthesis and compression in order to increase the sensual impact of the music.''


Painting and writing

Alongside his rise to prominence as a musician, Cowie has exhibited internationally as a painter, and his works are in public and private collections in more than 20 countries. He has also made several television films, including his acclaimed BBC2 film on
Leonardo Leonardo is a masculine given name, the Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese equivalent of the English, German, and Dutch name, Leonard Leonard or ''Leo'' is a common English masculine given name and a surname. The given name and surname originate ...
, of 1986. In 1988 and 1989, he wrote and presented two major radio series commissioned by ABCFM, Australia. In 2002 he was created the first Artist in Residence with the
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a charitable organisation registered in England and Wales and in Scotland. It was founded in 1889. It works to promote conservation and protection of birds and the wider environment throug ...
. In that same year, he became the first Composer in Association with the BBC Singers in London; a collaboration that spawned three major new works in the genre. During the late 1990s, he worked as an author of books on wildlife and the first in a major series, ''Birds Talk'', was published in 2001. During 2012, Cowie has commenced a major series of oil paintings on a large scale, both being a series devoted to water, the second set especially focussing on The Great Barrier Reef and which will form the structural framework for the first in his new series of orchestral works, 'Earth Music'. In 2014, Cowie returned to Radio Broadcasting with a commission from ABC Radio National, Australia with a commission to present a programme on the relationships between drawing and music. 'Drawing towards Music'. As a result of its broadcast in May 2014, he is to write and present further programmes for ABC Radio National in 2015. ‘The Singing Planet’, a two part series about the natural history of song, was broadcast on ABC Earshot in 2015.


Selected works


Orchestral

*''The Moon, Sea and Stars'' (1973) *''Leviathan'' (1975) *''Piano Concerto'' (1976) *''Columbine'' (1978) *''Leonardo'' (1982)(New Version 2012) *''Concerto for orchestra'' (1982)(Revised 2012) *''Clarinet Concerto'' (1983) *''Choral Symphony'' (1983) *''Symphony - The American'' (1983) *''Fifteen Minute Australia'' (1984) *''Atlas'' (1986) *''Cello Concerto'' (1993, revised 2003) *''Elysium I-III'' (1996) *''Oboe Concerto'' (1978) *''From Moment to Moment'' (2000) *''Dark Matter'' (2003) *''Earth Music 1- The Great Barrier Reef for large orchestra'' (2012/13) *''Clarinet Concerto (no3) Ruskin's Dreams-Coniston'' (2014) *''Piano Concerto no 2- Snow Canyon, Utah'' (2014) *‘’ Tide in Knots Concert Overture for Orchestra. (2017) ‘’ *‘’ Violin Concerto with Winds,Brass and Percussion ‘GAD’ (2018/19)’’ *‘’ Harp Concerto ‘La Primavera’ with String Orchestra. (2019/20)’’


Chamber music

*''String Quartet 1''(1974) *''Cathedral Music'' (1976) *''String Quartet 2'' (1978) *''Endymion Nocturnes for Tenor and String Quartet'' (1980) *''Harlequin for solo Harp'' (1980) *''Kelly Passacaglia for String Quartet'' (1981) *''Kelly Variations for solo Piano'' (1981) *''Kelly-Nolan-Kelly for solo Clarinent in A'' (1981) *''String Quartet 3'' (1983) *''String Quartet 4'' (1984) *''Voices of the Land for Violin and Piano'' (1987) *''Mount Keira Duets for Flute and Guitar'' (1987) *''Coburn Partita for solo Cello'' (1991) *''Violin Sonata'' (1991) *''48 Books 1 & 2 for 7 instruments'' (1994) *''Songs without words'' (1995) *''The Voices of Gaia for 2v voices and 18 instruments'' (1998) *''Night Owls'' (1999) *''Four Frames in a Row for 6 Baroque Instruments'' (2000) *''The Healing of Saul for Violin and Piano'' (2000) *''Badlands Gold for Tuba and Piano'' (2000) *''The Rising of the Sun and Setting of the Same'' (2001) *''Kandinsky for Four Guitars'' (2003) *''Blue Blues for solo Marimba'' (2003) *''Orpheus with Lyre Bird for solo Harp'' (2004) *''H.J.Rhapsodies solo saxophone and chamber orchestra'' (2004) *''Birdsong Bagatelles'' (2004) *''24 Preludes for solo piano'' (2005) *''Piano Trio'' (2005) *''Le Gorge du Tarn'' (2007) *''Spell Checks for Guitar and Flute'' (2007) *''Chansons d'Automne'' (2007) *''Psappha Portraits for 7 instruments'' (2006/7) *''Nympheas for Four Harps'' (2007) *''Rutherford's Lights for solo Piano (2008) *''INhabitAT for 22 instruments'' (2011/12) *'' Blue Blues for solo Marimba'' (2011) *''String Quartet no 5, Birdsong Bagatelles'' (2008) *''Particle Partita for Solo Violin'' (2012) *''String Quartet no 6 'The Four Winds' '' (2012/13) * ‘’String Quartet no 7 ‘Western Australia’ (2016/17) * ‘’ String Quartets 8 and 9 ‘New York New York’ (2020)’’ * ‘’ String Octet ‘New York New York’ (Quartets 8 and 9 played simultaneously) (2020) * ‘’ Bird Portraits. 24 Sonic Portraits of British Birds for violin and piano. (2020) * ‘’ Where Song was Born. 24 Sonic Portraits of Birds of Australia for flute(s) and Piano. (2020/21)


Choral

*''Gesangbuch for 24 voices and 11 instruments'' (1976) *''Madrigals or SATB Choir'' (1981) *''Kelly Choruses for 24 voices and solo Harp'' (1982) *''Gaia for 24 voices and 18 instruments'' (2002) *''Ave Maria or SATB Choir '' (2002) *''Lyrebird Motet for 24 Voices'' (2003) *''Lake Eacham Blues'' (2004) *''INhabitAT for 24 Voices and 21 instruments'' (2004) *''National Portraits for 24 solo Voices'' (2006) *''Bellbird Motet for SATB Choir'' (2011) *''Spitfires for SATB Choir and bells.'' (2013) * Two African Motets for SATB choir and 2 Percussion. (2014)


Opera and music theatre

*''Commedia'' (1977) *''KateKelly's Roadshow'' (1983)


References


External links



Composer’s Website *
Schott Music
(Includes photo) {{DEFAULTSORT:Cowie, Edward 1943 births 20th-century classical composers 20th-century English painters English male painters 21st-century English painters English nature writers People from Birmingham, West Midlands Living people Male classical composers 20th-century male musicians 20th-century English male artists 21st-century English male artists