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Alec Roth

Member

Composer/Lyricist: Composer
Genre: Concert
Email: alecroth@hotmail.com

Biography

Born in England, of German/Irish descent, Alec Roth studied music at Durham University, where he was awarded the Scott Prize and at the Academy of Indonesian Performing Arts (ASKI) in Surakarta, Central Java. From 1986 to 1989 he was recipient of the triennial Collard Fellowship, the most prestigious award of the Worshipful Company of Musicians.

Posts he has held include Founder and Artistic Director of the Royal Festival Hall Gamelan Programme; Music Director of the Baylis Programme, English National Opera; Composer in Association, Opera North; Composer in Residence, Wellington College; and Lecturer in Music, University of Edinburgh.

His collaborations with the Indian writer Vikram Seth include the song cycles Chinese Gardens (Chester Festival commission 1998) and Romantic Residues (Bury St Edmunds Festival commission 2003) and Earth and Sky for children?fs chorus (BBC commission for the Proms 2000 season). Vikram Seth was also the librettist for Arion and the Dolphin, commissioned by English National Opera and premiered in the Royal Navy Dockyard, Plymouth in 1994. Subsequent productions include Singapore (1996), Nottingham (1998) and Rotterdam (1999).

Other works include a version of Shakespeare's The Tempest with Javanese gamelan (Vancouver 1989); Gretel and Hansel (1988), an opera for young people, libretto by David Sulkin; The Big Wash Cycle (1994), words by Jo Shapcott; All Summer in a Day (1996), a musical drama for children to perform to adults, based on the story by Ray Bradbury; two commissions for the Academy of St Martin in the Fields - Departure of the Queen of Sheba (1999) for oboe, cor anglais and string orchestra and Nocturne (2000) for viola and string orchestra; and a String Quartet: Klee Pictures (Bath International Music Festival commission, 2002).

In addition to his work as a composer and conductor, Alec Roth is also active in the field of education and training. The many organisations for which he has led projects include the British Council, Association of British Orchestras, SPNM, Live Music Now, London Sinfonietta, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Halle Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, City of London Sinfonia, National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Glyndebourne, Finnish National Opera, Prague National Theatre, the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge, Chulalongkorn (Bangkok), Simon Fraser (Vancouver), STSI (Surakarta), ISI (Yogyakarta), the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London and the Britten-Pears School, Aldeburgh.

For further information, please contact:
Telephone: +44 (0)7760 233396
E-mail: alecroth@hotmail.com

Important Works Performances
  1. Stage Works:GRETEL AND HANSELOpera for young people, libretto by DAVID SULKIN [ca. 55'] Commissioned by English National Opera
  2. THE TEMPESTVersion of SHAKESPEARE's play for actors, dancers, singers, chorus and Javenese gamelan [ca. 150'] Commissioned by Simon Fraser Centre for the Arts, Vancouver
  3. ARION AND THE DOLPHIN Opera, libretto by VIKRAM SETH [ca. 110']Commissioned by English National Opera
  4. ALL SUMMER IN A DAYMusical drama for children to perform to adults, story by RAY BRADBURY, lyrics by JO SHAPCOTT [ca 35'] Commissioned by Opera North
  5. Concert Works:THE BIG WASH CYCLE (WITH SHORT SPIN) Song cycle for voice with chamber orchestra (or ensemble or piano), words by JO SHAPCOTT [ca. 25']Commissioned by South Bank Centre, London for the
  6. Version for voice and orchestra commissioned by the Bournemouth Sinfonietta Stewart Collins/Bournemouth Sinfonietta/Roth, Wadebridge Sports Centre, 24 May 1997
  7. FANDANGLE: FANFARE FOR ORCHESTRA Original version for
  8. Version for symphony orchestra (3232 4231 timp 2perc strings)English Northern Philharmonia/Simon Wright, Leeds Town Hall, 25 June 1998
  9. HONEYED THUNDER for Javanese gamelan [ca. 15'] Commissioned by the South Bank Gamelan Players for their 10th anniversary
  10. CHINESE GARDENSSong cycle for voice and guitar, words by VIKRAM SETH [ca. 12']Commissioned by the Chester Summer Music Festival
  11. DEPARTURE OF THE QUEEN OF SHEBAfor oboe, cor anglais and string orchestra [ca. 10']Commissioned by the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields
  12. EARTH AND SKYfor children's chorus, piano and optional percussion, words by VIKRAM SETH[ca. 10'] Commissioned by the BBC for the BBC Proms 2000
  13. NOCTURNEfor viola and string orchestra (with optional bass drum) [ca. 11'] Commissioned by the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields
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