Stephen McNeff (born 6 September 1951) is an Irish

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 ...

, best known for his work in contemporary theatre and opera.

Biography

Stephen McNeff was born in

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...

and grew up in south

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

. He studied composition at the

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is the oldest conservatoire in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the first Duke of ...

and undertook post-graduate research at the

University of Exeter The University of Exeter is a public university , public research university in Exeter, Devon, England, United Kingdom. Its predecessor institutions, St Luke's College, Exeter School of Science, Exeter School of Art, and the Camborne School of Min ...

. He was Associate Director of Manchester University's

Contact Theatre Contact is an arts organisation in Manchester, England that focuses on youth leadership. History Contact was founded in 1972 by Barry Sheppard (General Manager of what was then Manchester University Theatre) and Hugh Hunt (Professor of Drama) ...

in 1979−80. From 1980−84, as Composer in Residence and Associate Director of the Music Theatre Studio Ensemble of the

Banff Centre Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, formerly known as The Banff Centre (and previously The Banff Centre for Continuing Education), located in Banff, Alberta, was established in 1933 as the Banff School of Drama. It was granted full autonomy as ...

and then Comus Theatre Canada, he won a

Dora Mavor Moore Award The Dora Mavor Moore Award (also known as the Dora Award) is an award presented annually by the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts which honours theatre, dance and opera productions in Toronto. Named after Dora Mavor Moore, who helped estab ...

for his opera ''The Secret Garden'' (1985) based on the novel by

Frances Hodgson Burnett Frances Eliza Hodgson Burnett (24 November 1849 – 29 October 1924) was a British-American novelist and playwright. She is best known for the three children's novels ''Little Lord Fauntleroy'' (published in 1885–1886), '' A Little ...

. His theatre music in the 1990s saw McNeff receive a Scotsman award for the

National Youth Music Theatre The National Youth Music Theatre (NYMT) is an arts organisation in the United Kingdom providing pre-professional education and musical theatre stage experience for young people. Based in London, it is constituted as a private limited company (orig ...

production of ''Aesop'' at the 1991 Edinburgh Festival before an unconventional staging of

T.S. Eliot Thomas Stearns Eliot (26 September 18884 January 1965) was a poet, essayist, publisher, playwright, literary critic and editor.Bush, Ronald. "T. S. Eliot's Life and Career", in John A Garraty and Mark C. Carnes (eds), ''American National B ...

's ''The Wasteland'' by the Donmar for the BOC Covent Garden festival in 1994 brought him wider attention. He was appointed 'Composer-in-the-House' with the

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is an English orchestra, founded in 1893 and originally based in Bournemouth. With a remit to serve the South and South West of England, the BSO is administratively based in the adjacent town of Poole, s ...

in 2005 and later became Composer in Residence. During his three-year tenure, he wrote a number of major works for the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and its contemporary counterpart Kokoro. Since 2002 McNeff has been a Visiting Artist of

Dartington International Summer School Dartington International Summer School is a summer school and festival of music held on the medieval estate of Dartington Hall and is a department of the Dartington Trust. Operation First established at Bryanston School in 1948 (largely throu ...

, South West Music School, and

Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance is a music and dance conservatoire based in London, England. It was formed in 2005 as a merger of two older institutions – Trinity College of Music and Laban Dance Centre. The conservatoire has ...

. He is currently on the composition staff o
Guildhall School of Music and Drama

Selected works

Operas *''2117/Hedd Wyn'' (2017), libretto by

Gruff Rhys Gruffudd Maredudd Bowen Rhys (; born 18 July 1970) is a Welsh musician, composer, producer, filmmaker and author. He performs solo and with several bands, including Super Furry Animals, which obtained mainstream success in the 1990s. He formed ...

. Recording released by Ty Cerdd Records in 2022. *''The Burning Boy'' (2017), libretto by

Charles Causley Charles Stanley Causley CBE FRSL (24 August 1917 – 4 November 2003) was a British poet, school teacher and writer. His work is often noted for its simplicity and directness as well as its associations with folklore, legends and magic, especi ...

. *''The Last King of Scotland'' (for 2013) after

the novel ''The Novel'' (1991) is a novel written by American author James A. Michener. A departure from Michener's better known historical fiction, ''The Novel'' is told from the viewpoints of four different characters involved in the life and work of ...

Giles Foden Giles Foden (born 11 January 1967)George Stade and Karen Karbiener (eds), ''Encyclopaedia of British Writers, 1800 to the Present'', 2nd edn, Infobase Publishing, 2010, p. 176. is an English author, best known for his novel ''The Last King of S ...

has been commissioned by Banff and Trinity Laban. An extract was performed by the commissioning conservatoire's students at the

ROH2 ROH2 was the contemporary arm of the Royal Opera House until 2012, commissioning and producing dance and contemporary opera works in the Linbury Studio Theatre, Clore Studio Upstairs, Paul Hamlyn Hall, and various other locations situated both w ...

's Exposure series in 2012 *''The Chalk Legend'' (2012) a Dorset-based community opera, libretto by Richard Williams *''Daughter Of The Elements'' (2011) based on the life and work of Marie Curie, first performed at the 2011 Tête à Tête Opera Festival *''A Voice Of One Delight'' (2010) scena for mezzo-soprano, to a text by

Percy Bysshe Shelley Percy Bysshe Shelley ( ; 4 August 17928 July 1822) was one of the major English Romantic poets. A radical in his poetry as well as in his political and social views, Shelley did not achieve fame during his lifetime, but recognition of his achie ...

and

Edward John Trelawny Edward John Trelawny (13 November 179213 August 1881) was a British biographer, novelist and adventurer who is best known for his friendship with the Romantic poets Percy Bysshe Shelley and Lord Byron. Trelawny was born in England to a family ...

, premiered at the

Presteigne festival The Presteigne Festival is a classical music festival which takes place at the end of August each year in the town of Presteigne situated in the Welsh Marches. The Festival promotes a wide variety of concerts together with many music-related activit ...

*''Pelléas et Mélisande'' (2008) a chamber re-orchestration of

Claude 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 ...

's opera for the Independent Opera Company. *''Tarka The Otter'' (2007) based on

Henry Williamson Henry William Williamson (1 December 1895 – 13 August 1977) was an English writer who wrote novels concerned with wildlife, English social history and ruralism. He was awarded the Hawthornden Prize for literature in 1928 for his book ''Tarka ...

, winner of the 2007 British Composer Award for Stage Work *''Gentle Giant'' (2007) based on the novel

Michael Morpurgo Sir Michael Andrew Bridge Morpurgo (''né'' Bridge; 5 October 1943) is an English book author, poet, playwright, and librettist who is known best for children's novels such as ''War Horse'' (1982). His work is noted for its "magical storytellin ...

*''What I Heard About Iraq'' (2006) settings of

Eliot Weinberger Eliot Weinberger (born 6 February 1949 in New York City) is a contemporary American literature, American writer, essayist, editing, editor, and translation, translator. He is primarily known for his literary writings (essays) and political articles ...

's aphoristic poems on the post 9/11 Iraq conflict for Opera North *''Clockwork'' (2004) based on the children's novel by

Philip Pullman Sir Philip Nicholas Outram Pullman (born 19 October 1946) is an English writer. His books include the fantasy trilogy ''His Dark Materials'' and ''The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ'', a fictionalised biography of Jesus. In 2008, ''The ...

*''Names Of The Dead'' (2003) *''Matins for the Virgin of Guadalupe'' (2001) *''The Secret Garden'' (1985) Other Vocal *''Madrigali dell'Estate'' (2009) for mezzo-soprano to poems by Gabriele d'Annunzio *''Cities of Dreams'' (2008) for baritone solo, SATB choir and orchestra with texts by

Rudyard Kipling Joseph Rudyard Kipling ( ; 30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936)''The Times'', (London) 18 January 1936, p. 12. was an English novelist, short-story writer, poet, and journalist. He was born in British India, which inspired much of his work. ...

Walt Whitman Walter Whitman (; May 31, 1819 – March 26, 1892) was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among t ...

and

William Blake William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his life, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of the poetry and visual art of the Romantic Age. ...

. *''Near Avalon: An Ancient Journey'' (2008) for the Ulster Orchestra and Ulster Youth Choir *''Dissolve me into Ecstasies'' (2008) for soprano, tenor and baroque ensemble to a text by

John Milton John Milton (9 December 1608 – 8 November 1674) was an English poet and intellectual. His 1667 epic poem '' Paradise Lost'', written in blank verse and including over ten chapters, was written in a time of immense religious flux and political ...

*''Weathers'' (2007) *''The Unknown'' (2006) five poems by Edward Thomas *''Four Tales from Beatrix Potter'' (2002–05) adapted by

Adrian Mitchell Adrian Mitchell FRSL (24 October 1932 – 20 December 2008) was an English poet, novelist and playwright. A former journalist, he became a noted figure on the British Left. For almost half a century he was the foremost poet of the country's Cam ...

*''More Need'' (2002) for soprano to a text by John Hegley Orchestral and Chamber Works *''Seven For A Secret'' (2011) adaptation of

Maurice Ravel Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composers rejected the term. In ...

's ''L’Enfant et les sortilèges'' for the Rambert Dance Company *''Concert Duo'' (2010) percussion concerto for the

Borletti-Buitoni Trust The Borletti-Buitoni Trust () (BBT) was established as a charitable trust in 2002 to help young musicians throughout the world. The Trust assists classical instrumentalists, ensembles and singers in their early 20s and 30s to further develop their ...

and

BBC Symphony Orchestra The BBC Symphony Orchestra (BBC SO) is a British orchestra based in London. Founded in 1930, it was the first permanent salaried orchestra in London, and is the only one of the city's five major symphony orchestras not to be self-governing. T ...

*''LUX'' (2008) *''Savage Amusements(No. 1)'' (2007) *''Counting 1 & 2'' (2007) *Sinfonia (2007) *''Echoes and Reflections'' (2006) *''Reeling'' (2005) *''Secret Destinations'' (2005) *''Heiligenstadt'' (2005) *Clarinet Concerto (2005) *Cello Sonata (''Falling Man'') (2003) *Piano Quintet (2002) *''Ghosts'' (2001) for wind ensembleArticle on performing 'Ghosts' in 'Winds' magazine, 2008

References

External links

Stephen McNeff page at Edition Peters

Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:McNeff, Stephen 1951 births Living people 20th-century classical composers 20th-century British musicians 20th-century male musicians 21st-century classical composers 21st-century British composers 21st-century British musicians 21st-century male musicians British opera composers Composers from Northern Ireland Male opera composers Male classical composers from Northern Ireland Alumni of the Royal Academy of Music Alumni of the University of Exeter