James worked as Office Assistant for the University of York Music Press from September 2012 to September 2016. While there, he wrote a successful Arts Council England Grants for the Arts bid and directed the subsequent project mentoring, recording and publishing emerging composers.
During his undergraduate degree he managed the following events.
From 2008-11 James was the Conference Weekend Manager of the YSFNM student committee. The conferences were designed for student composers and performers to collaborate by performing each other’s pieces, and engage in seminars, workshops and roundtable events with professional composers and ensembles.
Information on this year’s festival is available at: www.yorkspringfestival.co.uk and www.york.ac.u/concerts.
You can also find YSFNM on Facebook and on Twitter.
14th-15th May 2011: New Music Exchange
The 2011 New Music Exchange welcomed the Hebrides Ensemble as resident artists. Following a call for scores, they ran Composition Workshops on shortlisted works, plus Instrumental Workshops on tackling new music as a performer. The Hebrides’ evening concert featured music by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, György Kurtág, Judith Weir, plus the winner of the call for scores: Tom Coult piano quartet, Frusta. The New Music Forum returned with the theme ‘Identity: reflections on how we portray ourselves in contemporary music’.
Sunday’s Music Theatre Workshop explored a developing opera by composer Eve Harrison, with James conducting the University of York Opera Society and The Chimera Ensemble. The Hebrides Ensemble’s William Conway led a Repertoire Workshop on George Benjamin’s At First Light, with the audience sat among the Chimera Ensemble players. Finally, composers and ensembles from Durham, Leeds College of Music, Birmingham Conservatoire and York collaborated in performing each other’s pieces in the afternoon Exchange Showcase.
15th-16th May 2010: Conference Weekend
Expanding into a full weekend, 2010 saw two resident ensembles, students visitors from 10 UK universities and conservatoires, and theme of the relationship between music and the fine arts.
Black Hair Ensemble opened the weekend with an experimental performance workshop – see the photo! Their evening concert featured world premieres of Seven Audio Plays by Danish composer Thomas Agerfeldt Olesen, and Rising by Roger Marsh. The Chiasmus Ensembleworkshopped student compositions, and gave a lunchtime concert which included the UK premiere of Valence II by Robert A. Baker.
Two guest speakers, Bristol-based composer Mark Lawrence and writer Claire Williamson, spoke about their collaborative work in the field of community opera. The collaboration theme continued with PhD composer Emily Kalies’s presentation on her collaborative multimedia piece, Stained Glass, which was performed in the second of two showcases of student works.
9th May 2009: University Collaboration Day
In this inaugural day of events, composers and new music ensembles from Durham, King’s College London, Manchester and York collaborated in final rehearsals before two showcases of each other’s compositions. Anna Meredith gave a careers talk on her music and on bridging the gap after university. A roundtable discussion led by Roger Marsh featured Kevin Malone, Anna Meredith, and composer/cellist Ewan Campbell, who also performed in the second showcase, rounding off the day.
Creating New Music Communities (2009)
CNMC was co-ordinated by James in partnership with Peter Moran, who began the initiative for the Irish Composers Collective and the York Spring Festival of New Music 2008.
On Saturday 4th July, the Irish Composers Collective visited the University of York for a day of concerts, talks, and listening sessions hosted by guest curators. Two Composers’ Surgeries were hosted by Professors Kevin Malone (Manchester) and Roger Marsh (York). Three concerts of new Irish music were played by performers from Dublin, London, Manchester, Durham, Glasgow, Huddersfield and York.
Feedback on CNMC: …a great opportunity for student composers to share their music with their peers on a personal level…
…The arrangement of Composers’ Surgeries gave the students the opportunity to personally explain every detail of their compositions in a relaxed environment…
…I will definitely be back. The stunning architecture, rich heritage, friendly people and endless amounts of geese…
…The Composers’ Surgeries were interesting and informative gave me new ideas for developing future pieces or in one case an idea for a completely new piece!…
…I felt the whole day was useful and interesting. It was also a very good chance to network…
…The two Composers’ Surgery Sessions were very helpful and a superb idea, and will hopefully be a part of future events. It is great to have time put aside to allow composers to talk shop at length, and although the ostensible purpose of the sessions was to discuss the student composers’ pieces, the conversation in fact travelled much further afield, and was enlightening in many ways to all involved…
…This experience was especially instructive for the many young composers present…
Arts Admin.
James worked as Office Assistant for the University of York Music Press from September 2012 to September 2016. While there, he wrote a successful Arts Council England Grants for the Arts bid and directed the subsequent project mentoring, recording and publishing emerging composers.
During his undergraduate degree he managed the following events.
York Spring Festival of New Music:
• May 2011: New Music Exchange
• May 2010: Conference Weekend
• May 2009: Collaboration Day
Creating New Music Communities (2009)
York Spring Festival of New Music (2008-11)
Information on this year’s festival is available at:
www.yorkspringfestival.co.uk and www.york.ac.u/concerts.
You can also find YSFNM on Facebook and on Twitter.
14th-15th May 2011: New Music Exchange
Sunday’s Music Theatre Workshop explored a developing opera by composer Eve Harrison, with James conducting the University of York Opera Society and The Chimera Ensemble. The Hebrides Ensemble’s William Conway led a Repertoire Workshop on George Benjamin’s At First Light, with the audience sat among the Chimera Ensemble players. Finally, composers and ensembles from Durham, Leeds College of Music, Birmingham Conservatoire and York collaborated in performing each other’s pieces in the afternoon Exchange Showcase.
15th-16th May 2010: Conference Weekend
Black Hair Ensemble opened the weekend with an experimental performance workshop – see the photo! Their evening concert featured world premieres of Seven Audio Plays by Danish composer Thomas Agerfeldt Olesen, and Rising by Roger Marsh. The Chiasmus Ensembleworkshopped student compositions, and gave a lunchtime concert which included the UK premiere of Valence II by Robert A. Baker.
9th May 2009: University Collaboration Day
Creating New Music Communities (2009)
On Saturday 4th July, the Irish Composers Collective visited the University of York for a day of concerts, talks, and listening sessions hosted by guest curators. Two Composers’ Surgeries were hosted by Professors Kevin Malone (Manchester) and Roger Marsh (York). Three concerts of new Irish music were played by performers from Dublin, London, Manchester, Durham, Glasgow, Huddersfield and York.
More information about the day, plus concert recordings, can be found here.
Feedback on CNMC:
…a great opportunity for student composers to share their music with their peers on a personal level…
…The arrangement of Composers’ Surgeries gave the students the opportunity to personally explain every detail of their compositions in a relaxed environment…
…I will definitely be back. The stunning architecture, rich heritage, friendly people and endless amounts of geese…
…The Composers’ Surgeries were interesting and informative gave me new ideas for developing future pieces or in one case an idea for a completely new piece!…
…I felt the whole day was useful and interesting. It was also a very good chance to network…
…The two Composers’ Surgery Sessions were very helpful and a superb idea, and will hopefully be a part of future events. It is great to have time put aside to allow composers to talk shop at length, and although the ostensible purpose of the sessions was to discuss the student composers’ pieces, the conversation in fact travelled much further afield, and was enlightening in many ways to all involved…
…This experience was especially instructive for the many young composers present…