Nicholas (Nick) Casswell (born 1974) is an English composer specializing in chamber music.

Biography

Born on 25 July 1974 in

Cheltenham Cheltenham (), also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a spa town and borough on the edge of the Cotswolds in the county of Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort, following the discovery of mineral s ...

, Casswell studied at the

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 (1993–96) and at the

University of York , mottoeng = On the threshold of wisdom , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £8.0 million , budget = £403.6 million , chancellor = Heather Melville , vice_chancellor = Charlie Jeffery , students ...

(1998–99). Thereafter he completed his PhD studies in composition at the

University of Leeds , mottoeng = And knowledge will be increased , established = 1831 – Leeds School of Medicine1874 – Yorkshire College of Science1884 - Yorkshire College1887 – affiliated to the federal Victoria University1904 – University of Leeds , ...

."Activities 2007"
''Luxembourg Music Information Centre''. Retrieved 15 January 2011. In 2000, his string quartet composition "Papillon" won the

Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society is a Learned society in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It was founded in 1819, and its museum collection forms the basis of Leeds City Museum, which reopened in September 2008. The printed works and ...

’s Millennium Composing Award and was also performed at the 2001 Gaudeamus Music Week. The first movement of his "The Transformation and Other Stories" earned him the title of most promising composer at the 7th International Young Composers Meeting in

Apeldoorn Apeldoorn (; Dutch Low Saxon: ) is a municipality and city in the province of Gelderland in the centre of the Netherlands. It is located about 60 km east of Utrecht, 60 km west of Enschede, 25 km north of Arnhem and 35 km south of Zwolle. The ...

. In 2003, "Temporal Trajectories" for percussion quartet was awarded second prize at the 2nd Jurgenson International Young Composers Competition in

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

. Under a fellowship awarded by the

Arts and Humanities Research Council The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), formerly Arts and Humanities Research Board (AHRB), is a British research council, established in 1998, supporting research and postgraduate study in the arts and humanities. History The Arts an ...

, he conducted research into the Korean folk music sanjo at London University's

School of Oriental and African Studies SOAS University of London (; the School of Oriental and African Studies) is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the federal University of London. Founded in 1916, SOAS is located in the Bloomsbury ar ...

. Nicholas Casswell is currently Lecturer in Interdisciplinary Performing Arts at

University of Central Lancashire , mottoeng = "From the Earth to the Sun" , established = as Institution for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledgere-established 1992 (University status granted) , type = Public , chancellor ...

, Preston.

Awards

*First Prize, International Composition Competition, Luxembourg, 2007. *ISCM-IAMIC Young Composer Award (2007).

Works

Among Nicholas Casswell's works are:"Casswell, Nick"
''The Living Composers Project''. Retrieved 15 January 2011. *"Chorisis", orchestral ensemble (14 players), 1999 *"Return", flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, trumpet, violin, double bass, 1998 *"Papillon", string quartet, 1999 *"Methexis", alto saxophone, 1999 *"Temporal Trajectories", four percussion, 2000 *"The Transformation and Other Stories", two sopranos, tenor, baritone, flute, clarinet, two saxophones, two French horns, trumpet, trombone, electric guitar, bass guitar, piano, percussion, 2001 *"distance ... presence", flute, clarinet, two saxophones, two French horns, trumpet, trombone, electric guitar, bass guitar, piano, percussion, 2002 *"Piano Quartet", violin, viola, cello, piano, 2002 *"Lumine", four male voices, 2002 *"Triplicity", orchestral ensemble, 2007

Discography

*"International Composition Prize Luxembourg 2007, World Premiere Recordings": Nicholas Casswell, "Triplicity"; Robert Lemay, "Mare Tranquilitatis III"; Akihiro Kano, "The Fifth Station"; Gordon Hamilton, "Sinfonietta Concertante". Luxembourg Sinfonietta, Conductor: Marcel Wengler. CD LGNM No 407.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Casswell, Nicholas British classical composers British male classical composers Living people 1974 births 21st-century classical composers 21st-century British male musicians Alumni of the University of Leeds