Gerard Cousins is a Welsh guitarist, composer and arranger.

Biography

Gerard Cousins was born in Brecon and studied music at the University of Leeds and ARTEZ Conservatorium (Netherlands) where his principal composition teachers were Philip Wilby and David Rowland. He studied the guitar with Jeremy Herbert, Graham Wade and Louis Ignatius Gall. Following the tradition of the performer/composer, Gerard Cousins has recorded and performed much of his own music. He has expanded the guitar repertoire with his own arrangements of traditional Welsh music and often works with contemporary composers arranging and recording their music for guitar. Most notably with

Philip Glass Philip Glass (born January 31, 1937) is an American composer and pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century. Glass's work has been associated with minimal music, minimalism, being built up fr ...

and

Eric Whitacre Eric Edward Whitacre (born January2, 1970) is an American composer, conductor, and speaker best known for his choral music. In March2016, he was appointed as Los Angeles Master Chorale's first artist-in-residence at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. ...

. Radio France dedicated a show to Cousins' recordings of minimalist guitar music featuring his Philip Glass recordings and his own compositions. Adam Walton dedicated an hour long show on BBC Wales to Cousins' music in 2015.

Discography

''Escape - Philip Glass''

Track list: Opening -

*
Metamorphosis 1 -

*
Escape -

*
Metamorphosis 3 -

*
Metamorphosis 5 -

*
Knee Play Two -

*
Truman Sleeps -

* *Arranged for the guitar by Gerard Cousins

''Lullabies - The Music of Eric Whitacre''

Track list: Goodnight Moon -

*
Sing Gently -

*
The Seal Lullaby -

*
This Marriage -

* *Arranged for the guitar by Gerard Cousins

''Una Leyenda''

Track list: Sonatina - Federico Moreno Torroba
Una Leyenda - Pedro Sanjuan
Tiento Antiguo - Joaquin Rodrigo
Capricho Arabe -

Francisco Tarrega Francisco is the Spanish and Portuguese form of the masculine given name ''Franciscus''. Nicknames In Spanish, people with the name Francisco are sometimes nicknamed "Paco". San Francisco de Asís was known as ''Pater Comunitatis'' (father of ...

Un Tiempo fue

Italica Italica ( es, Itálica) was a Roman town founded by Italic settlers in Hispania; its site is close to the town of Santiponce, part of the province of Seville in modern-day Spain. It was founded in 206 BC by Roman general Scipio as a settleme ...

Famosa - Joaquin Rodrigo
El testament d'Amelia - Miguel Llobet
Canco de Lladre - Miguel Llobet
El noi de la Mare - Miguel Llobet
Sonata - Antonio Jose
Romance de los Pinos - Federico Moreno Torroba

'' A Gift''

Track list: Wind Color Vector -

Takashi Yoshimatsu is a Japanese classical music composer. He is well known for composing the 2003 remake of ''Astro Boy''. Biography Yoshimatsu was born and raised in Yoyogi, Tokyo. He did not receive formal musical training while growing up. Yoshimatsu was a fa ...

Canticle (from Around the Round Ground) -

Elystan - Gerard Cousins
Viaje a la Semilla - Leo Brouwer
July 18 - Gerard Cousins
A Gift - Robert Jacob
Chant - John Tavener
Hika in Memorium Toru Takemitsu - Leo Brouwer
Tune for Toru - Mark-Anthony Turnage arr. Gerard Cousins

''Hiraeth - Celtic Guitar Music from Wales''

Track list: Tros y Garreg (Crossing the Stone) - Trad.*
Gwahoddiad (Arglwydd Dyma Fi) - Trad.*
Fantasia on

Ar Lan Y Mor AR, Ar, or A&R may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Artists and repertoire Periodicals * ''Absolute Return + Alpha'', a hedge fund publication *'' The Adelaide Review'', an Australian arts magazine * ''American Renaissance'' ...

- Trad.*
Dafydd y Garreg Wen (

David of the White Rock Dafydd y Garreg Wen is a traditional Welsh musical air and folk song. There is a tradition that the tune was composed by David Owen (1712–1741), a harpist and composer who lived near Porthmadog in Caernarfonshire. He was known locally as '' ...

) - Trad.*
Hiraeth - Grace Williams* (1906-1977)
Amanda's Delight (from 2 pieces for guitar) - Robert Smith
A Short Verse for Edward Thornburgh - Thomas Tomkins* (1572- 1656)
A Sad Pavan Forbidding Mourning - Hilary Tann (b. 1947)
Olwyn Ddwr (Water Wheel) -

Gareth Glyn Gareth Glyn, born Gareth Glynne Davies (born 1951), is a Welsh composer and radio broadcaster. Life and education Born in Machynlleth, Wales, Glyn is the eldest son of the late Welsh poet T. Glynne Davies. He received his secondary education at ...

* (b. 1951)
Crossing Water Alone - Simon Thorne* (b. 1954)
Teifi's Dream ( Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau) - Trad.* *Arranged for the guitar by Gerard Cousins

''The First Beat is the Last Sound''

Track list: Assyrian Game - Gerard Cousins
Ripening Prelude - Gerard Cousins
Lisa Lan - Gerard Cousins
Suo Gan (Variations and Toccata on a Welsh Lullaby) - Gerard Cousins
In the Grip part 1 (homage to

) - Gerard Cousins
White Cloud Blue Sky (homage to

John McLaughlin John or Jon McLaughlin may refer to: Arts and entertainment * John McLaughlin (musician) (born 1942), English jazz fusion guitarist, member of Mahavishnu Orchestra * Jon McLaughlin (musician) (born 1982), American singer-songwriter * John McLaugh ...

) - Gerard Cousins
Cantus Tintinnabulous (homage to

Arvo Part Arvo is a Finnish and Estonian given name for males and may refer to: * Arvo Aalto (born 1932), Finnish politician *Arvo Aaltonen (1892–1949), Finnish swimmer and Olympic medalist *Arvo Aller (born 1973), Estonian politician *Arvo Andresson (19 ...

) - Gerard Cousins
In the Grip part 2 - Gerard Cousins
The Sound of One Hand Clapping (homage to

Steve Reich Stephen Michael Reich ( ; born October 3, 1936) is an American composer known for his contribution to the development of minimal music in the mid to late 1960s. Reich's work is marked by its use of repetitive figures, slow harmonic rhythm, a ...

) - Gerard Cousins
Minimi (for 2 guitars) - Gerard Cousins
This Marriage -

(arranged by Gerard Cousins)

Podcasts

Gerard Cousins has been interviewed on "The Next Track" and "Guitaronamie" podcasts.

References

External links

*https://www.gerardcousins.com/ *https://www.discogs.com/release/17327887-Gerard-Cousins-Philip-Glass-Escape *https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/search?search_query=gerard%20cousins
Gerard Cousins , Biography, Albums, Streaming LinksInterview with Gerard Cousins (October 2016) on #neuguitars #blog
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cousins, Gerard Living people Welsh guitarists Welsh composers Welsh male composers 1974 births People from Brecon