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Christopher Wiggins

Professional

Composer/Lyricist: Composer
Genre: Concert

Biography

Christopher Wiggins (born 1956) studied at the Universities of Liverpool, Leeds (Bretton Hall College), London (Goldsmiths College) and Surrey, specialising in composition. He was awarded the Allsop Prize for composition (Liverpool) in 1977 and the Wangford Composers' Prize in 1991. His music has been performed in over 30 countries worldwide and broadcast in five.

His output includes choral, orchestral, chamber (including three String Quartets, Opp. 1, 89 & 106), solo and educational pieces. A sizeable proportion of his output (over 30 pieces) is for horn/horn ensemble and these pieces have been extensively performed, particularly in the USA. His music is published in the UK, the USA and the Netherlands.

Since 1989 Mr Wiggins has enjoyed close links with Estonia and conducted a number of broadcast concerts in Tallinn in the early 1990s. He organised a fund-raising campaign in early 1992 which enabled 35 young musicians and their teachers to visit and work with members of one of the Bedfordshire Youth Orchestras at Easter that year. He was a member of the Luton Symphony Orchestra for over 15 years, becoming an Associate Conductor and representing that orchestra on the Luton Arts Council. He was also the first Music Director of the Luton University Orchestra.

He has been a teacher for over 20 years and also served as an external examiner and moderator for GCSE music for several years. Since 1995 he has served as a visiting examiner for 'A' Level music.

He became a member of the Composers' Guild of Great Britain in the mid-1980s, joining the PRS soon afterwards, and served on the Executive Committee of the Composers' Guild from 1993 until 1996. He is currently a member of the British Academy of Composers & Songwriters, the International Horn Society, ESTA (UK), the MCPS, a friend of the British Music Information Centre, and an Ordinary Member of Convocation of the University of London.

Contact details:

PHOENIX MUSIC PUBLICATIONS (E.H.E.), J. Obrechtstraat 23, NL-7512DG Enschede, Netherlands, tel: ++31-53-4323864, fax: ++31-53-4309212

OECUMUSE, 52a Broad Street, Ely CB7 4AH, tel: 01353 663252,
fax: 01353 663371

KJOS MUSIC, 4830 Jutland Drive, San Diego, CA 92117-0894, USA
tel: ++1-619-270-9800, fax: ++1-619-270-3507

ARS MUSICI (CD Company), Freiburger Musik Forum GambH, Schwarzwaldstr. 298a, Schlosspark ebnet, D-79117 Freiburg, Germany, tel: ++49-761-62205,
fax: ++49-761-62229

EMERSON HORN EDITIONS, P.O. Box 101466, Denver Co-80250, US
tel: ++1-303-744-3001

STUDIO MUSIC, P.O. Box 19292, London NW10 9WP, tel: 020 8459 6194

G. RICORDI (LONDON) LTD, 5th Floor, Kiln House, 210 New King's Road,
London SW6, tel: 020 7384 8183, fax: 020 7371 7270

CONCORDIA, 3558 S. Jefferson Ave, St Louis MO-64118, USA

Important Works Performances
  1. 'Missa Brevis' Op. 69 SATB a capella OECUMUSE (CD-ARS Musici AM 1213-2)
  2. 'Elegy' Op. 83 Solo Vlc/Strings Phoenix Music, NL (CD-Tallinn, Estonia)
  3. Concerto for Four Horns Op. 93 4 Solo Horns/3.2.2.2/2331/1/Str. E.H.E.
  4. Soliloquy IX Op. 94 No. 9 Solo Euphonium STUDIO MUSIC (also on CD)
  5. Concerto for Strings Op. 103 Premiered Guildford Festival, 1993
  6. Kleine Freiburger Messe Op. 111 SATB/Solo-Sop/Str. CD due 2000
  7. Miserere Op. 116 S-Sop/SATB/3 Tr/Timp/Org/Str.
  8. Organ Concerto Op. 130 Org/Str. Commissioned by Freiburg Cathedral, Germany and premiered 22 Nov 1998
  9. Trio Concerto Op. 134 S-Ob/S-Vln/S-Vlc/Str. Premiere scheduled in 2000, Tallinn
  10. 'Landamus' Op. 136 4 Organs/Fl/Ob/Cl/Fg/Hn/Tr/Trb/Timp Commissioned 1999 by Freiburg Cathedral; premiere scheduled mid-2000
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