Biography

Benjamin Oliver lives in London and is working as the AHRC Postdoctoral Research Assistant in Composition for Cochlear Implant Users and as a lecturer in composition at the University of Southampton; and as a freelance composer, electronic musician, pianist and educator.

Ben was born in 1981 and grew up in Chatham, Kent, in the UK. He left home for Yorkshire and in 2005 graduated from the University of Leeds with distinction in his MMus in Composition. He recently completed his DPhil in Composition at the University of Sussex (graduation in January 2011) under the supervision of Sam Hayden where he was also an associate tutor in composition. He received financial support from the AHRC and a 2006 PRS Foundation Scholarship for his doctoral work.

Ben’s music has been performed internationally and in the UK by ensembles including: Orkest de Ereprijs (International Young Composers Meeting 2010, The Netherlands), Ostrava Banda (Ostrava Days Festival 2009, Czech Republic), Leeds University Union Symphony Orchestra, Black Dyke and Rothwell Temperance Brass Bands, LIMA Orchestra, Dan Stern’s Woodwork (London Jazz Festival 2008), The Mobius Ensemble with Hackney CYM Children’s Choir (Spitalfields Festival 2010), Yorkshire Philharmonic Choir, Labyrinth, Retorica Duo (Odessa Festival 2008, Ukraine), Musarc (London Festival of Architecture 2010), Kosmos, EMFEB Chamber Orchestra, NYX trio and Leeds Sinfonia. His fifty minute work Fasten Your Seatbelts, which aligned his own quartet with electronics, was premiered to critical acclaim at the 2007 Soundwaves Festival in Brighton.  Groups including Orkest de Ereprijs, Gemini Ensemble and the Royal Academy of Music Manson Ensemble have performed his music in workshops.

Benjamin Oliver - Momentum (sample) by SoundsNew

http://benolivermusic.com/

Biography

Edmund Finnis (1984-) is a London-based composer. He writes music for concert halls, art galleries, film, dance-floors, installation and choreography. Flicker, his first work for full orchestra, was premiered by the Sibelius Academy Symphony Orchestra in Helsinki and subsequently performed at the Barbican in London. Amongst his varied output, he has composed for the London Symphony Orchestra, New College Choir Oxford, viola-player Paul Silverthorne (London Sinfonietta), Isafold Chamber Orchestra (Reykjavik) and players of the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

In 2011 Finnis has received commissions from the London Sinfonietta, Spitalfields Music Festival, Sounds New Music Festival, and the British Film Institute (to co-compose an original score for the 1929 Eisenstein film, The General Line).

Finnis’ previous teachers have included Julian Anderson, Paul Newland and Rozalie Hirs. He is currently working to complete his AHRC-funded doctorate on the subject of distortion in acoustic instrumental composition.

Edmund Finnis - Frame/Refrain (sample) by SoundsNew

http://www.edmundfinnis.com/

Biography

Jae-moon Lee was born in Seoul, Korea. He studied music and composition with Lee Je Park at the Chung-ang University in Korea from 2002 to 2008. Between 2010 and 2011, He studied with Joe Cutler and Howard Skempton at the Birmingham Conservatoire in the UK with Birmingham Conservatoire Scholarship. He is currently studying with Adam Gorb and Paul Patterson at the Royal Northern College of Music in the UK granting RNCM Entrance Award and Scholarship, his studies are generously supported by the Zochonis Charitable Trust. He was awarded the 26th Queen Sofia Musical Composition Award in Spain. He also received first prize at both the Master Hsing Yun International Composition Competition in Taiwan, and the Pusan Orchestra Composition Competition in Korea. He won second prize in the 45th Dong-Ah Daily Musical Competition in Korea.Jae-moon has also received composition awards in the Orchestra, Chamber and Song divisions of the 37th, 39th and 40th Seoul Music Festival. His works were also selected for the 3rd Orchestral Composition Festival run by the Arts Council of Korea and the 71st Cho-Sun Daily Debut Concert in Korea. From 2008 to 2009, he was vice-musical director for the ballet work 'Prince Ho-Dong' at the Korea National Ballet. He also worked as director of artistic planning at the 'Educational Project for Children' by the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra and UNICEF.

In 2009, the Korean Arts and Culture Fund sponsored him as a supporting artist for the international exchange, and he was chosen as a jury member of the 27th Queen Sofia Musical Composition Award. From 2009 to 2010, he temporarily worked as an arranger for the Millenium Coral in Spain and the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra. His works were played by Spanish Radio and Television Orchestra, Gangnam Symphony Orchestra, Pusan Festival Symphony Orchestra, Seoul Classical Players Orchestra, Birmingham Conservatoire Orchestra, Royal Northern College of Music Brand New Orchestra, Thumb Ensemble, Ensemble So-ri, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group (Workshop) and Schubert Ensemble (Workshop), and his works are planed to be played by Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, ICP Ensemble and Millenium Choral.

Jae Moon Lee - 1+1=1/Panorama (sample) by SoundsNew

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meIV6KetYdw

Biography

Germán Alonso was born in Madrid (Spain) in 1984. He studied Guitar and Composition (specialization in Electroacoustic Composition) in his hometown obtaining the highest marks. At the same time, he has studied computer assisted composition, audio synthesis and sound edition with MaxMSP with Alberto C. Bernal.

Currently he is studying a Master in Musicology in Paris 8 University.

He has attended master classes and courses held by composers Alberto Posadas, Aureliano Cattaneo, Hèctor Parra, José María Sánchez-Verdú, Yan Maresz and Luca Francesconi, among others.

He has been selected for courses “Voix Nouvelles 2011” of the Royaumont Fondation, International Composers Pyramid 2011, “Contemporary Music Meeting INJUVE” 2011 (Spanish Youth Institute), Cátedra “Manuel de Falla” 2009 and 2010, in Cádiz (Spain), or the European Musical Creation Workshop 2009 and 2010 in Madrid (Spain), among others.

His instrumental, mixed and acousmatic works have been played in Spain, France and Mexico in festivals such as Ensems (Valencia, Spain), Festival de Primavera de Yucatán (Mérida, Mexico), Festival de Música Española (Cádiz, Spain) or CDMC (Madrid, Spain) by ensembles such as Xasax, Grup Instrumental de València, Zahir Ensemble, Taller Sonoro, s’ensemble or SequenzaSUR.

He was prizewinner in composition competitions II Seminario Permanente de Composición de Valencia and II Concurso de Composición “Carmelo Bernaola”, and finalist in the 8^th Composition Competition “Città di Udine”. He has been selected in the 2010 edition of the “Laboratorio del espacio” of the Spanish CDMC (Contemporary Music Center).

He has received commissions from the Institut Valenciá de la Música, the Cátedra “Manuel de Falla”/Government of Andalusia or the Sax Quartet S@X21, among others.

German Alonso - living on a cigarette with wine (sample) by SoundsNew

http://www.myspace.com/germanalonsomad

Biography

Raffaele GRIMALDI (1980)
Composer, pianist and conductor.
He graduated in Piano with Carmen Romano and Composition with Lucia Ronchetti at the Conservatory of music “G. Martucci” in Salerno with highest honors, and graduated with the highest honors, at the Master’s courses (high improvement in Composition) of Ivan Fedele at the National Santa Cecilia Academy in Rome. He has obtained some prizes in National and International Competitions, among the others:
What's next of Nuova consonanza (Roma), 2003; Valentino Bucchi, International competition (Roma) 2005; Stefano Ferrari, International competition (Piacenza) 2005; Biennial prize S. Ciani (Siena), 2006 (Chigiana, founded by Luciano Berio); International competition Taukay, (Udine), 2006; Call for scores, Musici Mojanesi (Treviso), 2006; Progetto giovani compositori, (Forlì - Milano) 2007, (chairman Giacomo Manzoni); International composition prize "R. Toscano", (Pescara) 2007; MOVIN'UP 2008; the V International Forum of Young Composers 2008 - Ensemble Aleph (France); Ton de Leeuw 2008 (Tirana - Albany) ; Reading Panel 2008- IRCAM (Paris - France); Schloss Solitude Akademie 2009/2011(Stuttgart - Germany); International composition competition Toru Takemitsu 2009, chairman Helmut Lachenmann (Tokyo - Japan); Kalv/Project Music Lab of Gotheborg (Sweden); FORUM 2010 - MUSIQUE ET VIDÉO D'ART (10th International Forum for Young Composers - NEM, Nouvel Ensemble Moderne); "Mauricio Kagel Composition Competition 2010", Wien (Austria);    selected from the "Reading Session" of The 45 International Summer Course for New Music Darmstadt, and his piece was perfomed by Ictus & Nadar Ensemble; Gaudeamus Music Week 2011 (Amsterdam, The Netherlands);
He has followed the masterclass of Salvatore Sciarrino, Brian Ferneyhough, Georges Aperghis, Michael Jarrell, Marco Stroppa, Hugues Doufourt, Yan Maresz, Bruno Mantovani.

His compositions have been performed in Europe (Italy, France, Albany, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, Greece),USA (New York, Boston, Des Moines), Japan (Tokyo) and broadcasted by Radio Rai International, NRN-FM Japanese National Radio, Sveriges Radio P2, Radio-Canada, Taukay Radio and Rai Radio 3, and performed by Tokyo Philarmonic Orchestra, Orchestre Nationale de Lorraine, Orchestra del Conservatorio “G.Martucci” di Salerno, chamber ensembles like the Neue Vocal Solisten of Stuttgart, Ensemble Algoritmo, Ictus&Nadar Ensemble, Aleph ensemble, Monesis ensemble, Interensemble, soloists like Mario Caroli, Ann Cravero, Amandine Robilliard, Matteo Cesari, Francesco Filidei, Erik Carlson, Franz Josef Hauser and directed by prestigious conductors like Zsolt Nagy, Tetsuji Honna, Marco Angius, Jacques Mercier, Flavio Emilio Scogna. He has developed musicology activity at the “San Carlo” theatre of Naples, obtaining a scholarship for his studies. He has been selected by the Reading Panel 2008- IRCAM (Paris - France) for the Cursus 1 in Composition and Computer Music 2008/2009, and obtaining the artistic residence at the Citè Internationale des Arts.
He regularly plays piano both as soloist and with various formations, executing musics of classical authors, contemporary, and his compositions (has played in Rome, Milan, Naples, Barcelona (Spain), Wien, Budapest, Stuttgart). From September 2008 he will be researcher at the Mèdiathéque Mahler in Paris, developing a project of research thanks to the European Placement on the music of Iannis Xenakis.

In June 2008 the POGAS (Office for the juvenile politics and sporting activity), the GAI (Association for the circuit of the Young Italian Artists) and the PARC (general Direction for the architecture and contemporary arts of the Office for the cultural Activities) confers the scholarship MOVIN'UP 2008, to support of his composer activity for the foreign countries.

In 2009 Raffaele Grimaldi was selected as “Composer in Residence 2009/2011” for the Schloss Solitude Akademie of Stuttgart (Germany); in 2010 has been selected by the NEM, Nouvel Ensemble Moderne with the collaboration of the Montréal University for the FORUM 2010 - MUSIQUE ET VIDÉO D’ART (10th International Forum for Young Composers) - Montréal (Canada).

In 2011 his piece "TESLA" has been nominated for the prestigious Gaudeamus Music Week Prize 2011 (Amsterdam, The Netherlands); has been named winner of the 2011 Est/Ovest Award of Turin/Moscow (organized by the Xenia Ensemble), and will compose a new piece for the "Studio Novoj Muzyki" ensemble of Moscow. Besides is finalist for the 2011 INTERNATIONAL COMPOSER PYRAMID of Canterbury (England) and 6.International Contest for Organ Compositions/The SAARLOUIS ORGAN FESTIVAL 2011 (Saarlouis - Germany).

His works are published by Raitrade (Rome - Italy). Besides he cultivates the painting, poetry and the philosophy with particular interest.

Raffaele Grimaldi actually lives and works in Paris, and is also teacher of Composition at "G. Martucci" Conservatory of Salerno.

Raffaele Grimaldi - Lychnus II by SoundsNew

http://www.raffaelegrimaldi.com/

Biography

Born in 1984 in Yerevan/Armenia. Studied composition and flute at Yerevan State Conservatory. Since 2003 lives in Switzerland, where he studied composition with Michael Jarrell at HEM de Gèneve (M.M. in 2008). Masterclasses with Tristan Murail and Peter Eötvös. Attended seminars with K. Huber, H. Lachenmann, E. Nunes, H. Dutilleux, R. Moser etc. Received first prizes at 1st Pre-Art competition (Zürich, 2005),composer's competition at Musikfestival Bern (2011), Kiefer-Hablitzel Award (Bern, 2011). Commissions from ensembles Laboratorium (for Lucerne Zu Ostern Festival, 2007), Aequatuor with Nicati-de-Luze Fondation (2008) & Ernst-von-Siemens Stiftung (2009), Fondation Armenia (Geneva, 2010), Nostri Temporis (Kiev, 2011), Ensemble Proton Bern (2012) etc. Works have been performed in Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Slovenia, Italy, Ukraine, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Georgia, Armenia, Argentina & USA.

Biography

Giuliano Bracci (Rome, 1980) studied composition with Rosario Mirigliano at the Conservatory of Florence where he graduated with full marks in 2010.
He attended master-classes in composition taught by Helmut Lachenmann, Stefano Gervasoni, Salvatore Sciarrino, Barbara Hannigan, Quatuor Danel and members of Klangforum Wien. In September 2010 he moved to the Netherlands for a Masters Degree in Composition at Conservatorium van Amsterdam with Richard Ayres.

He received an honourable mention at the Gaudeamus Prize 2010, was awarded at the Young Composer Meeting 2010 and won the International SuonoSonda Competition 2009. Recently he has been selected as a finalist of the Premio Reina Sofia with a piece for choir and orchestra premiered in Madrid by the Orquesta de Radio Televisión Española and Coro Nacional de España in October 2011.

His music is published by Music Center The Netherlands (Donemus) and Ars Publica and has been performed in festivals and institutes such as Gaudeamus Music Week in Amsterdam, Premio Reina Sofia in Madrid, Villa Romana in Florence, Cantiere Internazionale d’Arte di Montepulciano, Young Composer Meeting in Apeldoorn, Goethe Institut of Rome, Compositori a Confronto in Reggio Emilia, miXXer in Ferrara and by musicians as Orquesta de Radio Televisión Española and Coro Nacional de España, Holland Symfonia, Nieuw Ensemble, Freon Ensemble, VocaalLab, Ensemble L’Arsenale, Orkest de Ereprijs, Ensemble Fisarchi.

Giuliano Bracci also graduated cum laude in Philosophy at La Sapienza University of Rome with a thesis on Giordano Bruno. He was the band director of the acting company directed by Pippo Delbono and performed in theatre shows in Italy, France, Spain, Belgium and Poland. As assistant of Freon Ensemble he is one of the organizers of Atlante Sonoro XXI, music festival in Rome. He plays the guitar and the tuba and taught at the Testaccio School of Music of Rome.

Giuliano Bracci - C'e un giardino chiaro by SoundsNew

http://giulianobracci.com/

Biography

Hugo Ribeiro completed a degree in composition at the Escola Superior de Musica de Lisboa in 2005 and subsequently obtained a Masters degree at the Royal Academy of Music in London in 2007. During this time he paticipated in a variety of composition courses with composers such as Emmanuel Nunes, Salvatore Sciarrino, Philippe Hurel and John Chowning, amongst others. In 2004 he participated in the summer composition courses in Darmstadt where he worked with Brian Ferneyhough, George Friedrich Hass, Toshio Hosokaw and Tadesz Wielecki.

Among the public performances of his music one can highlight the performance of Letter for Kundera for 14 players in the festival Listen to the World! 2009 (Sweden) performed by the Ensemble Gageego!, conducted by Pierre-André Valae; and the premiere of the opera Os mortos viajam de metro at the S. Luiz Theatre in Lisbon in April 2010. He has been distinguished with awards such as 1st Prize in the 2nd International Composition Competition Póvoa de Varzim "Orchestra Category" (2007), 1st Prize in the 2nd International Composition Prize Fernando Lopes-Graça (2011) and won the national competition Opera in Creation 2008 at the S. Luiz Theatre in Lisbon (Portugal).

Hugo Ribeiro - Danza (sample) by SoundsNew

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4TX0amOmaw

Biography

Chilean composer, born in Maracaibo, Venezuela in 1983. From 2001 to 2008 he studied in the 'Universidad de Chile' with Aliocha Solovera and Jorge Pepi-Alos, and from 2009 in the Haute Ecole Musique de Geneve, with Michael Jarrell, Lus Naon, and Eric Daubresse, and in the Conservatoire d'Aubervilliers with Martin Matalon.

His work has been played in Chile, Spain, France Germany, Luxembourg, USA, Austria, Belgium and Korea by ensembles such as: Ensemble Contrehamps, Ensemble Aleph, Ensemble Intercontemporain, Luxembourg Sinfonietta, Grup Instrumentale de Valencia, Ensemble Alea III, among others, as well as orchestras including Orchestre de Lorraine, Orchestre de Lille, Orquesta de la Radio y Television Española, Korean Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfónica de Chile, among others. He is the laureate of many prizes; Frederic Mopou (Barcelona, España), patrons award of BMW Musica Viva competition, of the Bavarian Radio (Munich, Germany), Isang Yun Music Prize 2007 (Finalist, Korea), Queen Elisabeth 2009 (Finalist, Belgium) and Queen Sofia 2009 (Finalist, Spain), among others.

During 2008 he was composer-in-residence in the 5th forum for young composers of the Ensemble Aleph, in France, and in 2009 he was laureate in the Reading Panel of the Ensemble Intercontemporain/IRCAM.

For 2010-2011, he received the scholarship of the Fondation Nadie et Lili Boulanger.

Miguel Farias - Tambora Strings by SoundsNew

Biography

Born in Seoul, Korea, Mihyun Woo is currently enrolled as a Ph.D (Composition) student at the Royal Academy of Music where she gained a distinction in her MMus degree and was awarded the Mosco Carner Composition Prize. Her Recent professor is Simon Bainbridge. A talented pianist from an early age, Mihyun started composing as an undergraduate, and before coming to London studied at the Yonsei University with Korean composer, Chan Hae Lee.

Mihyun has made an impressive start to her career in both Korea and Europe, winning commissions and prizes. Among Mihyun’s prizes are :'Grand prix' prize at George Enescu international composition competition, chamber music section (2011, Romania), 2nd prize at Erick Court composition Prize 2011(U.K.) ‘Special Mention’ Award at Val Tidone International Music Competitions 2010 (Italy), ‘Artist-in-residence prize’-orchestral music section at George Enescu International Composition Competition (Romaia), 3rd prize at Alan Bush Composition Prize 2008 (U.K.), 1st prize in the KBS (Korean Broadcasting System) orchestral music competition 2006 (Korea), 1st prize at Um Ak Journal Music Competition 2005 (Korea),2nd prize at the 27th Asian composer’s League composition competition 2004 (Korea), 2nd prize at Pusan orchestral composition competition 2004 (Korea), 1st prize at the 25th Chang Ak composition competition 2002(Korea), 1st prize at the 19th Young Nam composition competition 2002 (Korea), Young Composer Award at The 20th Anniversary Korean Women Music festival 2001 (Korea) and 1st prize at national student’s music competition sponsored by Seoul City University 1997 (Korea).

Mihyun’s compositions have been performed by encembles and Orchestras such as London Philharmonic Orchestra,London Sinfonietta, Arditti Quartet, Royal Academy Soloists, Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra(Seoul), Bacau Philharmonic Orchestra(Romania), Royal Academy symphony, Choir Commotio (U.K.) etc.

Also her pieces were selected for ‘International Composer Pyramid’ of Sounds New Contemporary Music Festival 2012 (2011) London Symphony Orchestra’s Panufnik Young Composers Scheme (2011), London Philharmonic Orchestra’s Young Composers Scheme(2010), ‘Arditti Quartet and Wolfgang Rhim Project’ opened by BBC Symphony Orchestra and BBC Radio 3(2010), a reading session with Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, composer Unsuk Chin and renown conductor Susanna Malkki (2010), the 41st Seoul Music festival in orchestral music section (2009), Messian music festival, titled ‘From the Canyons to the Stars’ planned by Southbank centre (2009), Sounds New Contemporary Music Festival, Canterbury, U.K. (2007), Korean Contemporary Choir Music festival (2004,Seoul Art centre), the 36th Seoul Music festival(2004), the 35th Seoul Music festival (2003), the 33rd Seoul Music festival (2001), The 20th Anniversary Seoul Women Music festival (2001) and Nanpa Music festival (2000, Korea).

Recently, her orchestral piece ‘Macrocosmos’ a commission from the Gorge Enescu Museum, was performed in Romania 4th, November, 2010. Recent commission is from Royal Academy Symphony Orchestra. It was conducted by Yal Pascal Tortelier, on 21st, January, 2011. Also, one is from London Philharmonic Orchestra. It was performed by LPO at Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre on 8 June 2011 and broadcasted on the BBC radio 3 on 1st, october, 10 30pm 2011. The upcoming concert is with London Symphony Orchestra. Her orchestral piece will be performed by LSO and conductor James Macmillan in January 2012.

Mihyun Woo - Still Life by SoundsNew

Biography

Víctor Ibarra was born in Guadalajara, Mexico in 1978. He studied the license in flute in the National School of Music at the National University of Mexico with Rubén Islas; also he studied composition with José Luis Castillo and Hebert Vázquez, later in Paris with Edith Lejet and in the conservatory of Geneva with Michael Jarrell.

He has taken some master classes, important flute and composition courses and seminaries with central personalities including the summer courses of Acanthes in 2008 and 2009, with Salvatore Sciarrino, Ivan Fedele, Wolfgang Rihm and Fabio Nieder as guest composers.

His work has obtained some distinctions and recognitions including the INJUVE-CDMC composition prize in Spain (2006), the prize of the Zeitklang composition contest in Austria (2008), the “Taller Sonoro” ensemble commission (2009), the 1st prize of the ALEA III international composition contest in the USA (2010), 1st prize in the II Composition Contest at the National Auditorium of Music -BBVA foundation in Spain with his work "Silensis" for orchestra (2011).

Víctor Ibarra has received commissions and invitations from important festivals and ensembles in the United States, Latin America and Europe. He has won some scholarships developing his work: the National Fund for Arts and Culture of his country and the scholarship for Excellency in Arts by the French government.

He has just finished his Masters with honours, obtaining the Salabert foundation prize, at the National Conservatory of Music in Lyon with Robert Pascal.

Victor Ibarra - Alice by SoundsNew

Biography

Yuko Ohara is currently studying for a PhD at Brunel University under the supervision of Christopher Fox.

She previously studied musicology and composition at Ferris University in Japan, where she completed a Bachelor and a Masters Degree and was awarded a distinction in composition and musicology. In 2003, she received a grant to study abroad at the Royal College of Music, London, where she studied with David Sawer. She completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Composition with Distinction, and won the United Music Publishers Prize for Composition in 2006. She also attended a computer music workshop at the Acanthes/IRCAM in Metz, France 2010. She has been supported by Brunel Graduate School and the Nomura Foundation, Japan.

Her pieces have been performed world wide and also selected for the Sixth International Jurgenson  Competition of Young Composers (Russia), the University of Aberdeen Music Prize, the Young Composers Workshop at the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, the Takefu Composition Award (Japan), the Soundwaves Festival, the London New Wind Festival, the International Double Reed Society 38^th Annual Conference, the International Conference on Contemporary Music (Spain), the Spirituoso Project at Handel House Museum, the Exaudi Vocal Ensemble Project, the BBC Symphony Orchestra Embedded Project, the duoDorT: Quantulum Project and the International Composer Pyramid. She was a Sound and Music short listed composer during 2007-10 and joined the Composition Surgery with Brian Ferneyhough. 

Yuko has collaborated with several ensemble groups and orchestras including the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the members of BBC Sottish Symphony Orchestra, the London Contemporary Orchestra, the Tokyo Universal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Ferris University Chamber Orchestra.

She has studied composition with Haruna Miyake, Richard Barrett, Peter Wiegold and attended composition master classes including ones by Beat Furrer, Tristan Murail, Hans Peter Kyburtz, Akira Nishimura and Toshio Hosokawa.

Yuko Ohara - The Enthalpy of Vaporization (sample) by SoundsNew