Patrick Nunn

British

Summary

Patrick Nunn (b.1969) studied with Frank Denyer and Gary Carpenter completing his PhD in Composition at the Royal Academy of Music under Simon Bainbridge and Jonathan Harvey (PRS Scholarship). His awards including the Birmingham New Millennium prize for Sentiment of an Invisible Omniscience (2010), the Alan Bush prize for Transilient Fragments (2008), and the BBC Radio 3 Composing for Children prize for Songs of Our Generation (1995). His work Mercurial Sparks, Volatile Shadows was awarded a BASCA British Composers Award (So-lo/Duet category) in 2006. Pareidolia I for bass clarinet, electronics and sensors (finalist, Sonic Arts category, 2012) was the most recent of seven shortlisted works for the BASCA British Composers Awards.

His work has been performed widely in the UK and on the continent and has featured at more than sixty festivals worldwide, most recently at IRCAM in Paris. He has worked with a diverse range of collaborators, including the BBC Concert Orchestra, National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and Bellowhead, Kreutzer Quartet, Mark Simpson, Thalia Myers, Zubin Kanga, Piano Circus, Icebreaker, Ballet Rambert, Gogmagogs, New London Children’s Choir and the Tempest Flute Trio. 

As Hyperbow Researcher at the Royal Academy of Music, Patrick completed two works incor-porating the MIT Hyperbow: Gaia Sketches (finalist, New Media category, BASCA British Composers Awards 2006); and Fata Morgana for cello, ensemble and live electronics. The process was presented at the 2006 NIME conference (IRCAM). His recent collaboration with Zubin Kanga, Morphosis for piano, electronics and 3D sensors, was presented at the 2015 ‘Inventing Gestures’ symposium (IRCAM Manifeste Festival) and has since been performed many times worldwide receiving critical acclaim as "a show stopper... both beautiful and in-credibly fascinating” (Performing Arts Hub) and "genuinely gripping” (Shetland Times).

He currently holds the position of Lecturer in Composition at the Royal Academy of Music. His music features on Red Sock Records, NMC and sfz Music labels. His latest CD, Morphosis showcases small-scale and electronic works and was described as "an immersive world of shifting coloursr" (Shock Of The New). Future projects include a set of accordion studies, and new works Duo Bayanello, Piano Circus and Carla Rees.

www.patricknunn.comwww.redsockrecords.com

P. Nunn, June 2018

Biography

Patrick Nunn (b.1969, Kent, UK) studied composition with Frank Denyer at Dartington College of Arts, Gary Carpenter at the Welsh College of Music and Drama, and Simon Bainbridge and Jonathan Harvey whilst completing his PhD in Composition at the Royal Academy of Music (funded by a PRS Scholarship).

He has been the recipient of many awards including the Birmingham New Millennium prize for Sentiment of an Invisible Omniscience (2010), the Alan Bush prize for Transilient Fragments (2008), and the BBC Radio 3 Composing for Children prize for Songs of Our Generation (1995). His work Mercurial Sparks, Volatile Shadows was awarded a BASCA British Composers Award (solo/duet category) in 2006 and chosen by the jury "for its clarity of concept, imaginative textures and its integrity”. Pareidolia I for bass clarinet, electronics and sensors (finalist, Sonic Arts category, 2012) was the most recent of seven shortlisted works for the BASCA British Composers Awards.

Patrick’s music has been performed widely in the UK and on the continent and has featured at more than sixty festivals worldwide, most recently at IRCAM in Paris. He has worked with a diverse range of collaborators, including the BBC Concert Orchestra, National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and Bellowhead, Kreutzer Quartet, Mark Simpson, Thalia Myers, Zubin Kanga, Piano Circus, Icebreaker, Ballet Rambert, Gogmagogs, New London Children’s Choir and the Tempest Flute Trio.

Under the auspices of Tod Machover (MIT) and in his role as Hyperbow Researcher at the Royal Academy of Music, Patrick completed two works incorporating Diana Young’s (MIT) Hyperbow design: Gaia Sketches for solo cello and live electronics (finalist in the New Media category, BASCA British Composers Awards 2006); and Fata Morgana for cello, ensemble and live electronics. The collaborative process between composer and engineer was presented in a research paper alongside Young at the 2006 NIME conference at IRCAM.

His recent collaboration, Morphosis with Zubin Kanga, incorporated 3D sensors on the pianist’s hands and was presented at the 2015 ‘Inventing Gestures’ symposium as part of IRCAM’s Manifeste Festival. The work has since been performed many times worldwide receiving critical acclaim as "a show stopper... both beautiful and incredibly fascinating” (Performing Arts Hub) and "uncanny music… given eldritch life with every waver and flick of the hand… uncomfortable, unearthly and borderline Lovecraftian - but genuinely gripping” (Shetland Times).

As part of his extensive work as an educator, Patrick currently holds the position of Lecturer in Composition at the Royal Academy of Music. His music features on several CDs: 21st Century Bow (Royal Academy of Music), Music of the Spheres (Red Sock Records), Prism (NMC) and A Bassoonist’s Cabinet of Curiosities (sfz Music). His latest album, titled Morphosis (Red Sock Records, 2016) showcasing small-scale and electronic works, has been described as "an immersive world of shifting colours [with] a deep, organic link between instrument and the electronics, one which explores the affinity between the two rather than imposing one upon the other" (Shock Of The New).

Future projects include a set of accordion studies, a new work for cello, accordion and electronics (Duo Bayanello), and a new work for six pianos, electronics and sensors (Piano Circus).

www.patricknunn.comwww.redsockrecords.com

P. Nunn, June 2018

Photos

Discography